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Officers give time, money for paralyzed colleague |
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By Kelly McCormack
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Posted: 07/25/07 07:26 PM [ET] |
When a Capitol Police officer was severely injured last year in a car accident, her co-workers and friends came up with enough money to help her buy a $20,000 wheelchair and live on leave with pay for nearly a year.
Last October, Donna Boswell, a 20-year veteran of the force, was driving to work in her 1993 Geo Tracker convertible on I-95 North from her Woodbridge home when traffic came to a complete halt. She looked into her rearview mirror and saw what looked like a “freight train” approaching. She flashed her brake lights, but the Ford F150 truck directly behind her did not stop. The next thing she knew, a man was helping her before she was cut out of her car.
“I cannot walk,” Boswell said. “I’m paralyzed from the chest down. I can move my shoulder and down to my elbows.”
She spent 60 days at the National Rehabilitation Hospital and 90 days at an Inova Fairfax nursing home. Kaiser Permanente paid for the stays.
“They’re supposed to give you outpatient care. I received two visits of rehab at home. After that, Kaiser would not give me any in-house rehab because I have ramps and [was] able to go outside,” Boswell said. Her insurance didn’t cover her wheelchair, either.
Boswell placed an electric nursing bed in her dining room to transform it into a “makeshift bedroom.” She said she’s been living in that room since April. She and her husband, an air-conditioning and heating technician, recently had a lift installed so she’s able to go upstairs. She and her husband took out a $50,000 home loan to pay for the addition and lift.
Boswell is unsure of how much her medical care has cost, but her husband has gotten rid of debt by selling their boat and two four-wheelers. Donations have also been a big help.
“Oh, Lord, have mercy,” Boswell said. “We got donations [from] all over. They weren’t just from the Capitol Police. A lot of other companies, state police and city police, county police — Fairfax and Loudon. You wouldn’t believe the support.”
Before her accident, Boswell had accumulated 900 hours of leave time. “The rest of it came from my colleagues. They all donated leave time. I have enough leave time to carry me through August.”
In December, the Capitol Police held a Christmas fundraiser for Boswell, which raised enough money to help her purchase a wheelchair worth more than $20,000. She also received a $10,000 donation from Rep. Darrell Issa’s (R-Calif.) foundation.
On Saturday, there will be a motorcycle rally run. It’s $25 to enter and ride from RFK Stadium to the St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds in Maryland. A picnic will be held at the end. Boswell will be riding along in her van.
Flyers are still posted around Capitol Hill recounting Boswell’s story with contact numbers for donations. A January court date is scheduled, and she’s trying to save money for the interim period between when her leave time expires and when she’s set to appear in court.
“I have a really good attitude. I got a lot of support from my friends in the Capitol Police,” she said. |
