Jose Villa

CAMPAIGN OF HOPE AND FAITH to walk again…

“But there was no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore witness that a man had the greatest of courage, the courage to suffer.” There is no personal growth, no moving forward without providing meaning to our suffering.

Jose Villa – My Story

In August of 2016, I was skateboarding with my two youngest sons in the backyard in our empty pool. After a bad fall, I was left with a broken elbow and leg, but in the months following there was a slow and downward progression, a loss of balance and the inability to stand upright. Imaging revealed significant trauma to my spine and into surgery I went. Tragically when I woke up from surgery, I was paralyzed from the chest down and told that I would never walk again.
In and out of nursing homes and hospitals, I did my best to cope with the news that I would never walk or stand again. It is a devasting disability, I felt lost, depressed and with no direction. What I discovered, there are no manuals or guidebooks that instruct one on what to do next, and insurance company’s refusal to cover medical devices that would improve my condition, it was madness. But one thing I knew, I was a man of faith and that I remained hopeful. God had blessed me with a supportive family, friends and a community, I had Faith and Hope that God had a plan for me.
My resolve was to recover, to not give up hope. I worked hard with physical therapists and doctors, whom I considered angels on earth. When being told you would never walk again, it was hard to get a sense of what independence would ever look like again. But God’s plan began to unfold, when I started gait training on the ReWalk exoskeleton, an FDA approved device that would allow me to walk again! I was standing and walking, resulting in significant recovery progress. More importantly, this device would be the vehicle to regaining my independence!
Therefore, I am fundraising, to raise enough money to own my own ReWalk exoskeleton. I also plan to raise needed funds for spinal cord victims, here in Phoenix as I promise to be a good steward and give back. As Phoenix has been my home where I had spent the greater part of my professional life working as a social worker administrating workforce and social programs that served underprivileged communities throughout Arizona.
Guided by Hope and Faith, providing meaning and purpose to my suffering, I would find grace and humility to move forward. Please help by donating or passing my story along for others to see.

With never-ending Hope and Faith – this is my path. Help me walk again in Phoenix!

Family and friends of Jose Villa are raising money for the nonprofit Help Hope Live to fund uninsured medical expenses associated with Catastrophic Injury.

Jose has chosen to fundraise for Help Hope Live in part because Help Hope Live assures fiscal accountability of funds raised and tax deductibility for contributors. Contributors can be sure donations will be used to pay or reimburse medical and related expenses. To make a tax-deductible donation to this fundraising campaign, click on the GIVE button. Please share my page on you social media.

For more information, please contact Help Hope Live at 800.642.8399.

Thank you for your support!