Key points:
• Jonathan Jones and his partner, Katie, have lived in Tucker for many years.
• Jones’ van, a lifeline for over 10 years, is now unsafe to drive.
• Friends and family have started a GoFundMe to raise $75,000 for a new van.
The van that once was a lifeline for Jonathan Jones is now a “death trap,” tattered from years of use and kept together by silver duct tape.
Jones, a quadriplegic who works as a counselor, has depended on his modified Dodge Ram van to get him around town for more than 10 years, but it’s now unsafe to drive.
“I’ve always loved driving. I’ve always loved sports cars, ” said the 49-year-old Tucker resident. “It’s a big freedom that’s been taken away. I would go to the office, take my dogs to the park, go to the Home Depot.”
His family and friends have started a GoFundMe hoping to raise money for a new van, said his friend Sally Rowe. Rowe, who organized the fundraiser, met Jones through his partner, Katie Pinholster, when they both worked in the film and television industry together almost 20 years ago. Rowe said she’s witnessed the financial impact of Jones’ round-the-clock care.
“I think the support for people like Jonathan, with Medicaid, Medicare, it needs to be completely rehauled. It’s not enough,” Rowe said. “They are such a beautiful couple, and he just completely deserves this help.”
The estimated cost of a modified, new van would be around $75,000, and the fundraiser has set that amount as the goal. Currently, there’s about $13,000 raised, including private donations offline, towards the van purchase.
Cheating death
Jones, a native of South Carolina, has lived with the limited mobility of his limbs since a harrowing accident at the age of 26. He and some friends were spending time on a lake in Michigan in July 2003 when he took a dive that forever changed his life.
“So, I’ve always been around water, and I’m a Pisces,” Jones said. “So, I dove in the shallow water and, you know, didn’t realize how shallow it was, and I knew in an instant that I hit that I broke my neck.”
Shortly after the accident, Jones moved to metro Atlanta and underwent rehabilitation and tendon replacement surgery. He began his master’s program in counseling at Georgia State University within a year of the accident. There he met Pinholster, who was also in graduate school for counseling. She recalls being immediately drawn to Jones’ tenacity and witty charm.
“This guy has an indomitable spirit,” she said. “This guy is a trooper, and I knew it when I met him,” she said. “He told me when I met him, ‘Hey, it is what it is. I gotta get a job I can do sitting down.’ He’s never felt sorry for himself.”
The certified and licensed professional counselor has worked with clients to help them through their darkest days even at times when he was facing his own. Jones, who is 22 years sober, has worked as an addiction counselor and helps Pinholster run her practice, Pinholster Family Counseling.
The van and mobility challenge had been in the background while facing health setbacks. In December, Jones spent nearly a month at Northside Hospital’s intensive care unit suffering from influenza, double pneumonia, a urinary tract infection, and bladder stones.
The hospital stay, coupled with his ongoing home health care, have been taxing for the couple. Medicaid’s Independent Care Waiver assists them with certified nursing care, but there are financial burdens when the couple has to pay out of pocket for nighttime care and other needs.
“Like he’s not able to get in his bed, so the caregivers are extremely important, but the incompetence, I’m gonna tell you, runs real deep,” Pinholster said. “It’s a struggle getting any kind of staffing.”
His wheelhouse
The couple’s ongoing struggle to find and pay for quality care may not be resolved, but having a working van would mean one less barrier, Pinholster said. They’ve priced a variety of vans that would be enhanced with quad grips, lowered floors, automatic ramp and lift, and safety belts for his wheelchair.
Jones is finding the joy in spending more time at home by meditating, birdwatching, and playing with his dogs, Carmen and Callie, but looks forward to returning to life as he knew it.
“My wheelhouse is working with men and folks dealing with addiction,” said Jones, who also counsels couples. “I love my work. I do some Zooms with clients, but really the person-to-person interaction is where you’re making the most difference.”
Those interested in contributing to Jones’ van purchase, can donate on the “Keep the Quad Counselor Rolling” GoFundMe page.