Michael was working as a mechanic. His specific work was physically demanding and required a full range of motion. He did not make much but enough to get by and rent a small apartment. One day he fell off the ladder whilst cleaning the gutters of the building. The custodian retired and seeing that there would be a lot of rain in the following month, Michael took it upon himself to do the task.
He was not paralyzed but also not as physically capable as before. Though he could walk using a wheelchair became much easier. After a month of treatment and hospital stays, he was let go of his job. As it became clear he was not going to recover to his full strength he became discouraged.
After his savings ran out, he lost his apartment as he never applied for any subsidies. The city put him up in a shelter because finding social housing in his area can take up to three years. This is also where I met him. His story illustrates how an accident can drastically impact your life and even result in losing your home.
