Lend-A-Hand featured in Post Bulletin

Reposting a great article about the Lend-A-Hand from the Rochester Post Bulletin:

CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE By Brett Boese The Post-Bulletin, Austin MN When Dan Stewart gets behind the wheel April 4 to take his driver's test, it will mark a monumental milestone. The Marine was injured so badly by a roadside IED seven years ago in Iraq that two military field hospitals denied him care for fear that the 2003 Hayfield graduate was already past the point of saving. The 27-year-old Austin resident credits his fellow marines for saving his life; they each refused to accept medical treatment until their stricken comrade was attended to first. "We're brothers-in-arms," Stewart said Thursday in a Marine-themed T-shirt with a matching hat safely stored a few feet away. "We're family. Who would let their blood brother just die when he could be getting help to live?" The American flag that was flown above the medical facility in Fallujah, Iraq — where an unconscious Stewart finally found care — now hangs in his bedroom. Not that he needs another reminder of his long road to recovery. The surprisingly cheery veteran of three tours in Iraq spent 32 days in a coma after having most of the right side of his head "pushed in" by shrapnel. While in that coma, Stewart also suffered a stroke that affects the left side of his body. He's undergone at least 10 surgeries since then, including a complicated cranioplasty, which inserted two metal plates in the right side of his head. Unfazed by the setbacks, Stewart has forged ahead in an effort to rejoin civilian life. He's received help from new friends. Guardian angel  In 2006, MaryAnn Lynch met Stewart at St. Edwards Catholic Church in Austin. Some have started calling Lynch his "guardian angel." She and her husband routinely drive him to appointments and often help with everyday activities that may otherwise be difficult, such as cooking. Perhaps more importantly, Lynch helped him land a position at the church. Stewart now volunteers five days a week doing tasks such as shoveling, mowing and raking. When he began, the talkative, tattooed Marine was too weak to even walk around his own block. Now, 10-mile treks that last three hours are common. Lynch's husband is trying to help him secure another volunteer position at the local Red Cross, and Stewart is considering enrolling at Riverland Community College, as well. "He has a lot of drive," Lynch said. "And I don't think he's alone. Most (veterans) don't want to be considered wounded warriors. They want to be involved in the community — and life — again. "The only things he isn't capable of doing are things he hasn't heard of yet." However, being physically challenged — he hates the term "handicapped" — means many of Stewart's activities are slightly modified. For example, his left arm has limited mobility, so he'll drive with just one hand. As such, a farmer's knob has been added to the steering wheel, in addition to easy-access turn signals. With Lynch's help, Stewart's also found a unique offering that's made everyday activities easier. Lend-A-Hand Mike Duncan, of Red Wing, has developed a product called Lend-A-Hand aimed at helping anyone with limited mobility in a limb, such as a stroke victim. It straps on to the leg or forearm with a small opening that an item — such as a rake, shovel, knife or fishing rod — might be placed in. Duncan has gone through seven models in his quest to perfect the product. On Thursday, he gifted Stewart his latest version — a $130 "all-inclusive" model that won't be released to the general public until Sunday. It's Stewart's third version of Lend-A-Hand since late 2009 and it's helping him write the next chapter of his life — literally. He's begun working on an autobiography that was started in his hospital bed, and he credits Duncan's device for helping him begin the next chapter in his life. "It just frustrated the hell out of me that I couldn't rake like a normal person," Stewart said. "(Lend-A-Hand has) definitely enabled me to do my job better. Even though it's just a volunteer job, it's still a job, and I want to do it right." Lend-A-Hand® is a patent pending assistant device. Once put on, it increases mobility while decreasing the strain off the individuals shoulders, arms, back and legs. Lend-A-Hand helps allow the individual to play golf, wash cars, paint, rake, sweep and wash floors, go fishing and other activities and duties. For more information, or to order, please visit:  http://www.evenparenterprises.com/ Or call us at 651-345-GOLF(4653)