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Danny is a native of New York City. He’s 24 years old and has lived at Coler-Goldwater for the last 11 years. He has two brothers and a half brother who live in the city.Danny graduated from high school in 2005. He hopes to go to college to study psychology. Danny speaks Spanish fluently and would like to learn to speak Filipino so he could better communicate with some of the patients in the hospital.
Among Danny’s many interests, playing games may be his favorite thing. He excels at Uno, Connect 4, Battleship and dominoes. If you ever play a game with Danny, you can expect to lose!
Another interest is baseball – Danny is a huge Mets fan. He also enjoys watching wrestling on television. Movies are another passion. Danny has a very large case filled with DVD’s. He gets copies of some of the newest releases and especially likes action/adventure movies. His musical preference trends towards music with a Latin beat, and Bachata music is Danny’s favorite type of music.
Danny has a very special friend who he met at the hospital about eight years ago. Maggie is a nurse in the hospital who has become like a second mother. She visits Danny three or four times a week when her nursing shift ends. Danny is also close to Maggie’s son Anthony who visits every Thursday. Maggie has become quite good at all games, but she still isn’t quite as good as Danny!
Another good friend is a new friend, Kareem, who is Danny’s roommate. You can probably tell that Danny is a very social person!
Some of Danny’s requests for Angelica are: better food (and especially Spanish food), movie nights with new releases, Latin music performances and trips to restaurants, movies, Mets games and Broadway shows. Danny saw “Mamma Mia” on Broadway several years ago and he loved the experience.
Tjader Fogle has been both a patient and a staff member at Goldwater Hospital. His greatest loves are wheelchair basketball, singing and God. He is an inspiration to younger patients in the hospital who admire his athletic ability and strong work ethic.
Tjader was born in Orlando, Florida and raised in Jacksonville, Miami and New York City. He has lived in New York City since 1950 and considers himself a New Yorker. His Mom lives in Astoria and his sister lives in Orlando where she raised Jader’s three nieces and one nephew.
Tjader first came to Goldwater Hospital for rehabilitation after an accident in 1973. He got involved with wheelchair basketball and track and field events early on, playing and coaching in the Eastern Wheelchair Basketball Conference (EWBC) of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA). He taught other aspiring basketball players at Goldwater when there was a wheelchair basketball program at the hospital. Tjader hopes the hospital will have a wheelchair basketball program again in the near future.
One of Tjader’s goals is to have a closer walk with God. He says that walking with God takes courage and that you think you might miss something – but he has found that he doesn’t miss anything.
As previously mentioned, Tjader loves to sing. He enjoys most types of music – especially soul music. He likes singing so much that he’s a member of not just one, but three, church choirs. Christmas carols are a favorite since Tjader was born on Christmas Day.
Tjader is very proud of his involvement with Wheelchair Charities. Wheelchair Charities was founded by Tjader’s best friend, Hank Carter, after Tjader’s accident. The charity purchases motorized wheelchairs, buses and other equipment for Coler-Goldwater. Hank and his enthusiastic board have raised millions of dollars over the years and all the funds have gone towards things that improve the quality of life of the patients and residents.
We asked Tjader for his ideas for Angelica – one is starting a GED program and another is restarting wheelchair basketball and other Paralympic sports. Tjader says that he knows that Angelica cares about the patients – and he loves the Sweetheart Ball!
Tony is one of Angelica’s favorites as he is always eager to get involved in our activities. He is 24 and has been at Goldwater for the last 7 years. He shares his poetry and song writing skills with fellow patients and friends. In fact, he has won several awards at our sponsored events for his abilities and is willing to serenade his visitors with a song. Tony is originally from Queens and often hosts his mother and cousins for visits at the hospital. He especially enjoys bringing them as guests to our festivities. But what Tony is most proud of is his high school diploma which he received five years ago.
A new adventure for Tony is working as a DJ at the Goldwater radio station. He started volunteering in the radio station in 2009 and enjoys every minute he spends there. He plays hip hop music and his radio handle is TST Tiger Claws. You go Tony!
This poem was written by Tony for the Sweetheart Ball:
Please click here to read the wonderful poem written by Lisa in honor of Tony!
My name is Sterlie Wilson, I am a resident on the Coler Campus of Coler- Goldwater Specialty Hospital and Nursing Facility.
At the age of 12, I became an epileptic.
I initially worked with Shearson and Lehman Brothers in the commodities trading business. I left and moved on to work for the disabled community. Our goal was to build independence, to have the residents lead a more mainstream life and to go through the routine of daily life independently.
Changing my field from business to healthcare, working with these residents, seeing them live independently in the community, seeing a person's life change, gave me tremendous sense of fulfillment. Then in February 1995, on the way to work, I was injured in a hit and run accident that left me in a wheelchair as a C-6/C-7 quadriplegic.
While I was still in the Hospital, I got enrolled in Human Services Assistant training program at ICD (Innovative Careers Directions). This program prepares individuals to work as paraprofessionals. Training included both classroom and internship experience. I interned at Barrier Free Living, NY (assistant case management) and the Vocational Placement Department, ICD, NY (preparation placement program) and gained valuable experience.
I have been an active member of the Coler community. I am the Chairperson of the Patient Care Committee (Sub Committee of the Coler Community Advisory Board), a member of the Coler Community Advisory Board and Resident Council.
I was given the opportunity to participate in Disability Mentoring Day 2005 as a Mentee and became a Committee Member in 2006. As a Sub- Committee member of the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities/Public Relations I was given the task of forming an e-mail list of Disability Web Groups for newsletters and other promotional material.
I see an abundance, of real life opportunities for people that have a disability. However in order to take part in these opportunities one must be medically stable. When I am asked to travel to Albany, NY to rally for health care issues; I think about my experience with Disability Mentoring Day 2005.
Sincerely,
Sterlie Wilson(Resident A-41, Coler Campus)
Member of the Coler Resident Council
Member of the Coler Community Advisory Board
Chairperson Sub. Committee on Patient Care
MOPD/DMD Committee Member: Public Relations
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