DAVID
SHIPLET
“A BILLBOARD IN THE MAKING”
For more
than two decades there has been a
continuing struggle to rid the highways
of billboards—considered by so many to
be trashing the beautiful natural
scenery of this Nation. Upon meeting
David Shiplet, one immediately has an
urge to erect a billboard—one that reads
“Need some sunshine n your day? Well,
just call David Shiplet!” Perhaps a
smiling photo displayed in color would
also be appropriate for David Shiplet
has outdone all the positive thinking
seminar gurus by just living his life
and all it has dealt him-one day at a
time with a beautiful grin, infectious
laugh and a twinkle in his eye.
Born forty-four years ago in
Albuquerque, New Mexico on Kirkland Air
Force Base, David’s life has been filled
with the routine ups and downs. His
formative years were spent in New
Mexico, Pennsylvania and Texas. He
became a long-haul driver, spent work
time in a foundry, raised a daughter and
pursued his hobbies of building and
racing dirt-track cars, hunting, fishing
and water skiing. He also developed a
circle of friends who would later become
a daily reminder that we are all here
for each other—to love one another
through all the triumphs and trials as
we race around the track of life.
On August 17, 2002, David was enjoying
the spray of the waters of Greenbelt
Lake as he skied behind his boat, driven
by his beloved Kelly. As with many life
changes, David’s life very suddenly, in
one split second, in one blink, changed!
Hitting a sandbar, he was left lying
face down unable to more with his head
submerged in the water. As Kelly came to
his rescue, holding his head above the
water on the sandbar, the occupants of a
passing fishing board called 911. Could
the passing fishermen have been angels?
David, to this day, does not know their
identity.
Upon arrival of the paramedics, David
was loaded onto a board and transported
to Clarendon, where he was then
airlifted to Amarillo. Suffering a
broken neck and bent spinal column, the
surgeons eventually had to fuse his C4
and C5 vertebrae together using a
portion of his hip bone. David was left
paralyzed from the neck down and yes;
life suddenly had changed for this
energetic young man. His first responses
were slight movement of his right arm
and then with the opening of his eyes, a
big wink for Kelly. Perhaps this wink
could be a clue to David’s very visible
life spirit—vigorous, full of vitality
and facing all mountains in life as
something to ascend in a merry manner.
As David continued his life, settling
into the realization that he had no
control over his movement, he was
surrounded by his foundation of
friends—Mark, Jeff, Rocky, Monty, and
his beloved Kelly. While David spent
time at the Baylor Rehab Center in
Dallas from June 2004 to August 2004,
this wonderful circle of friends spent
their time building a beautiful back
room onto the one room in which David
had been living. Their loving care for
David had just begun.
Only David’s triceps, biceps, and wrist
move. Someone has to lift him out of
bed, bathe him, dress him, and lift him
into bed. (Ponder this when you awaken,
stretch, get up out of bed, and brush
your teeth). Kelly was handling all the
needs of David. Astutely aware that he
still had a very useful brain, David was
enrolled in Amarillo College. When Kelly
required shoulder surgery, an outside
agency was hired to attend to David’s
physical needs. Funding for this outside
agency was readily available as long as
David was attending classes. The
semester ended, however, and there was a
lapse of time before the new semester
began. With Kelly’s recuperation period
extended, there was a great need for
funds for a caregiver.
Second Chance Foundation enables the
disabled to help themselves. The
Foundation beams the ray of hope into a
seemingly hopeless situation. Second
Chance funded a caregiver for David
while he waited his new challenging
semester to begin.
David doesn’t just go to school. Just as
Second Chance Foundation believes in
caring and giving, so does David. Even
though he is a quadriplegic, he gives
his all to others. When the
organization, Living Independently
Through Education, sought David as a
speaker for a fundraising luncheon, he
decided he would not be comfortable
speaking. However, while grasping a pen
in one hand and moving it with his other
fist, David signed over 150 letters of
funding requests. As a follow-up, David
hit the speaker button on his phone and
called each individual personally.
Monty, Rocky, Jeff, Mark and Kelly
remain outdoor buffs. David, with the
aid of these friends, goes camping and
fishing and, yes, David does fish. Using
a “target fisherman” shaped like a
pistol, David uses the one digit on his
hand that has movement, pulls the
“trigger” and shoots the line into the
water. He also plays poker once a week;
and to the chagrin of “the boys,” Kelly
does not let them depart for the weekly
game without the strict list of verbal
instructions—“do this, do not do that,
and don’t forget…”
The Second Chance Foundation allows
David to know his physical needs will be
taken care of between his school
semesters. This, in turn, allows David
to not only enjoy his life to the
fullest, but also contribute to the
quality of others’ lives.
Second Chance gives monetarily in large
doses, small doses, in-between doses,
depending on the need of the recipient.
More importantly, Second Chance always
gives a shot of spirit enabling the
disabled to pursue their life in a
joyful manner.
Thank you Second Chance for enabling
David to continue to live in a
comfortable manner. Thank you David
Shiplet for being such a steadfast, yet
spirited individual—an inspiration to
all you meet.
David, we will be waiting for a fish
fry—one large bass should make a very
nice dinner!!
Life is 10% what you make it and 90% how
you take it.
When there is no wind, just row.