MudB8 seriously injured. Needs our help. Please read.

[CB3]

MudB8 (Dave) is a premium member here and an all around great guy and excellent Jeep customizer, welder, and mechanic.

He works at a 4X4-offroad shop in Oregon as a Jeep mechanic and customizer. He's my personal friend and also the best Jeep mechanic and customizer I've met.

Dave's leg was broken in an accident two weeks ago. He has since then continued walking on a broken leg without a cast, in extreme pain while he continues working. He cannot afford to take a month off for his leg to heal because he would not be able to make his house payment and would lose his home. So Dave has continued working and walking on a broken leg. During the first 2 weeks, Dave didn't know it was broken because the ER doctor was incompetant and told him it was just bruised. It kept hurting BAD and didn't get better for 2 weeks. So Dave went to another doctor who X-rayed and learned it is fractured. Ouch! No wonder it hurts to walk on it!

Dave still continues to have to work (and walk on it) because of financial pressures. Dave will get a cast on Tuesday (1/19/2010). He's NOT supposed to be working or walking, but he has no choice because he can't afford a month off. He plans to continue working and walking on it because he has no choice. Dave has a wife and two kids. A month off work plus medical bills would get them foreclosed on. They're already behind on payments as it is. One more month behind and they might lose their home.

So Dave sees no choice but to keep working and walking on it. I would like for us (forum members) to give Dave an alternative so he can take a month off and let his leg heal properly - without losing his home.

Dave is proud, but really up against it. After two weeks, Dave finally gave me permission to tell forum members his situation and ask for help with his medical bills and one housepayment. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I've donated a new set of 15 X 10 aluminum, powder coated, 4.5 BS wheels to the offroad shope where Dave works for the shop to sell for whatever price will move them fast. I paid $1000 for those wheels. They will probably around $300 for the set, with all money going to Dave. I offered to financially do more for Dave from my savings, but I'm poor myself at this time. Dave says I've personally done as much as he can accept from one person. i.e. - Dave is so considerate that he doesn't want me, or anyone, to put themself out to much. However, as a group, we can help Dave without any individual having to do to much. We could all work together and by our numbers help him.

I know there are many JFmembers who Dave has helped (see below) who are not aware of his plight. If members knew of his situation, I hope they would each donate what they can, which would not put any one person out to much, but the cumulative donations would help Dave get through the next month (taking the month off work, staying OFF his leg so it can heal).

If Dave can take one month off, and still be able to keep his house, then after that his leg will be healed and he can go back to work. It's just a broken leg, which would heal fine if he stays off it. However, it's a very serious thing when he can't afford to stay off it. I'd like to help Dave be able to afford to stay off it.

What Dave needs is some money to put towards his medical expenses and one month's house payment so he can stop working for one month, stay off his leg, and let it heal.

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I've explained above why Dave needs help. Next I want to explain below why I think Dave is deserving of help from the forum and its members. Dave a premium member and a great guy, and he's done a lot for the forum members. Please read below.

Dave does a lot of really useful favors and advise for any forum member who wants help with mechanical issues. Dave's mechanical, welding, and customization skills are professional and the advice he shares with members is very good professional advice that he shares for free with any member that wants it.

Dave also does A LOT of free mechanical work and customization work for forum members who come see him at his shop during his "off hours". By "off hours", I mean outside Dave's official working hours when he charges for his time. During his "off hours" Dave does professional mechanical work and customization work for any JeepForum member who wants/needs the help who shows up at the shop where Dave works, on Saturday nights and anytime Sunday.

Dave has done a lot of freebies for me where I only paid for parts and he dontated labor. Sometimes he even gave me new parts for free and didn't charge me for parts or labor. Like recently when he replaced my carrier and regeared my frontend (after I broke it). Dave did a much better job than Randy's Ring and Pinion who did the first regearing.

I have personally witnessed Dave doing a lot of free mechanical work for other JeepForum members who bought their parts online or from magazines (not from where Dave works), and Dave still did free installs for them. If he has parts on hand, sometimes he even gives them free parts. In my case, he recently gave me a free D44Rubi front diff carrier and brand new highend diff gears FOR FREE and installed them FOR FREE without me even asking him to do so or even knowing he was going to do so. He did this after he diagnosed my front carrier and gears were ruined. So he replaced it all free of charge. Though I felt guilty accepting such a large favor, and so I gave him two of my new guns, but even so, the guns were worth only half the cost of what he'd done for me, but that (and the wheels I donated to raise money) are what I'm personally able to do.

Dave does free mechanical favors for forum members in our local area 2 to 3 weekends a month. He also does these things for out of town members who are willing to drive to NW Oregon. One member drove all the way from Florida to meet Dave and get customizations done. (Dave is that good, as well as very generous with his time)

I have seen Dave regear another member for free too, front and rear. Free labor in that case. I think that member paid for the gears, but probably didn't buy them from Dave. I think that member bought the gears cheap online, and Dave installed them free on his own time.

I personally saw Dave install (for free) an ORO Anti-rock on a members Jeep on a Saturday night. That member had not purchased the parts from Dave's shop, but had bought them online. After the install and adjustments were done, Dave aligned the members Jeep very carefully (member hadn't even asked for alignment). Dave saw the member's tire wear was not good, so he took care of alignment for free.

And those were just the weekends I happened to be around to see Dave helping other members, plus all the times he's helped me. And he does these things more than half the weekends of every month. Helping JF members with their Jeeps is Dave's hobby, and that's very useful since he has professional equipment and shop, and excellent professional skills, and he's a Jeeper.

Dave is the mother Teresa of Jeep mechanics and customizers. Dave spends his work days doing mechanical work and customizations on non-member's Jeeps for pay, and then spends his personal time on weekends working on JFmembers' Jeeps for free, and he sometimes even donates his highend-parts to JKmembers.

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Please help,

Thank you, CB3 (Chuck)


The info below was Edited in Later:

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I setup a PayPal account for donations for Dave. The PayPal ID to donate to Dave is my email address: charley.003@hotmail.com JFMembers who DO have your own PayPal account, please log in to your PayPal account and "send money" to PayPal account charley.003@hotmail.com. PayPal will charge a 2% transaction fee. i.e. - PayPal will keep 2% of the money donated.

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JFMembers who DO NOT have a PayPal account, you may click the Donate Button below and then use your credit or debit card. The PayPal Donate Button below is a secure way to use a card online. PayPal will process the transaction (you don't need a PayPal account). PayPal will charge a 3% card transaction fee. i.e. - PayPal will keep 3% of the money donated. Please see Donate Button Below:

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For anyone who prefers to snail-mail Dave a check, cashier's check, or money order, he gave me permission to give out his mailing address: Dave Kishpaugh, P.O. Box 869, Estacada OR 97023. It's a P.O. Box because he lives in the boondocks, on the other side of the moon, where postal carriers don't even go. For that reason, he has a P.O. Box in town.

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Minors, students, and anyone between jobs; please keep your money. We want to be considerate of everyone. We don't want to cause financial hardship to anyone.

Adults who have jobs, please donate as you are willing and able, but don't cause yourself financial hardship.

Thank you very much for caring, CB3 (Chuck)


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[chris87xj]

Dave sounds like one hell of a guy who is willing to give to others while living on the edge himself. He's also lucky to have a good enough friend to go to bat for him in time of need. Obviously I don't know all the circumstances but since this happened at work, if it were me I think I'd be submitting a workmans comp claim like yesterday.

[CB3]

Originally Posted by chris87xj

Dave sounds like one hell of a guy who is willing to give to others while living on the edge himself. He's also lucky to have a good enough friend to go to bat for him in time of need. Obviously I don't know all the circumstances but since this happened at work, if it were me I think I'd be submitting a workmans comp claim like yesterday.

Although the injury occurred on company property, it did not happen while he was working as an employee. He cannot put in for workman's comp.

He has no one he can turn to for help, and he's too proud to ask for help. So I'm asking for him, with his reluctant consent allowing me to ask.

[ohiobeach]

make a paypal account and I will help out. I am currently deployed in Afghanistan and have made a little extra coin. I think this is a terrible situation for anyone and I am glad I can help a little.

[Racincowboy]

I would post this in the NW section of the forum as well. I would have never known had I not seen the seriously injured part. Set up a pay pal and I will see what if I can scrape some cash up for him. I have been unemployed for a while now as well. But I cant stand to see a jeep guy work on a broken leg because he cannot afford to keep a roof over his family. Please let me know when the pay pal is set up.

[andito77]

If he has a paypal account, I'll send him $50. He hasn't helped me personally, but he sounds like he knows his stuff, and would help me if he could.

[McKBrew]

Send a PM to Keith, the forum owner. On one of his other forums, a member passed away. We used the donate link on the website (like the one here on JF) and after a set time period Keith sent a check to the family.

Maybe something like that would work here. However, if you want something a bit quicker or with a way to access the money sooner, maybe a paypal link would be better.

[80 CHOPPER]

He broke his leg on company property and they won't cover his time off? Get a lawyer, he will get workers comp and then some.

[CB3]

Originally Posted by 80 CHOPPER

He broke his leg on company property and they won't cover his time off? Get a lawyer, he will get workers comp and then some.

It wasn't an on-the-job injury because he wasn't on-the-clock as an employee when it happened.

All those mechanical freebies Dave did for forum members were done on his own time, but on company property using some of Dave's tools, but also using many company tools and company shop.

So company he works for has been very helpful and accomodating about allowing Dave to use company property/shop and company welder and various other company tools on his own time all those Saturday late afternoons and Sundays when he mechanically helped JeepForum members for free.

i.e. - it's not just Dave whose been helping JF members, but also the offroad shop where he works.

So the offroad shop doesn't deserve to be sued, and frankly I don't think Dave would have a case anyway since he wasn't working as an employee when the injury occurred.

Also, the employer is trying to find jobs for Dave that he can do sitting down, but that's pretty difficult for a mechanic to work that way, but still they're trying their best to accomodate his injury/disability. Though that only gives Dave limited part-time work at best, and he still has to walk on it some. So he still needs our help, even though the shop/company is doing what it can.

Clearly the offroad shop/company doesn't deserve to be sued.

Dave just needs to rest and get by for one month. Then his leg will be healed, and then it's all good after that. Broken legs heal fine when a guy has a cast and stays off it, but it won't heal when he keeps walking on it. He needs to be able to stay home and rest this month while being financially able to survive this month. After that, he'll be fine.

[CB3]

I will send a PM to Keith with a link to this thread, and I will also post this in the Pacific NW section.

Starting a Paypal account is a great idea, but I don't know how to do that, and I don't have time today to learn because to busy at work. As it is, I'm taking time from work to post here when I should be working.

I'll look into Paypal as soon as I can.

Thanks for the advice guys.

[99TJSahara]

post up in general discussion

[Jeffro95]

That sounds like it really sucks. But his employer should have insurance to cover injuries that occur on their property, for employees or otherwise. Think homeowner insurance, if someone falls on your sidewalk you're covered.....they should be too. If a company owner allows employees to work on the property, even after hours, they had better have insurance.

I hope the brake isn't a major fracture and he gets back on his feet soon.

[IslandTJ]

The paypal account maybe Dave's best option as the funds would be directly credited to his account. As such, Dave should be able to setup a paypal account easily himself with his specific account(s) to add - similar to Stu's donations for his site's maintenance.

Let us know when the account is set up.

[CB3]

Originally Posted by IslandTJ

The paypal account maybe Dave's best option as the funds would be directly credited to his account. As such, Dave should be able to setup a paypal account easily himself with his specific account(s) to add - similar to Stu's donations for his site's maintenance.

Let us know when the account is set up.

Great idea.

I don't think that Dave (MudB8) has seen this thread. As far as I know, he's not been online in a while. I'll give him a call and update him.

Good thinking IslandTJ. Thanks

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While in the middle of typing this post, I called Dave's house. His wife told me Dave is (at this moment) at the doctor, but when he gets home she'll have him call me, if he's up to it.

I'll post back as soon as I have updated information.

[flyboy14295]

Sorry to hear this about such a great guy. CB3, PM sent about Paypal, I'm willing to help you get it set up.