Darrin's story: How the FCIF helped one family touched by tragedy

There is not the slightest hint of bitterness or anger as Barbara Tedrowe recalls her heart break: Her son Darrin-a star athlete, a college student and a newlywed-was critically injured in a 1983 motorcycle accident that rendered him a quadriplegic. It was a hit- and-run accident and the other driver has never been identified. Darrin's neck was broken in the crash and he was paralyzed from the chest down. He was confined to a wheelchair for more than 20 years until kidney failure claimed his life in 2004. During that time Barbara cared for him, encouraged him and neither complained about her son's situation nor allowed herself the luxury of self-pity.

Now, just over a year after Darrin's passing, Barbara is only too willing to talk about him and the tragic circumstances that cut short her son's life. There is still sadness, of course. But mostly there is conviction and passion in her voice as she offers thanks to those who reached out to her in her family's time of desperate need. She speaks out now to encourage others to support the folks who supported her: The Floor Covering Industry Foundation (FCIF).