WHAT’S HAPPENING IN GOLDEN TODAY?
9:30-10:30AM Rooftop Yoga @ The Golden Mill
10-11:30AM NREL – Public Campus Experience (Virtual)
10:15-10:45AM Toddler Time @ Golden Library
10:30AM and 1:30PM The Friday Tour @ Colorado Railroad Museum
12-12:55PM All Levels Yoga (Virtual)
12:30-1:30PM You (Are) Matter @ Golden Library
1PM Wild West Short Tour
1-1:45PM Silver Sneakers Yoga (Virtual)
1-2:30PM Wagon Ride Through Golden’s History
3PM Vaccine, License & Microchip Clinic @ Foothills Animal Shelter
6-8PM Teen After Hours: Build a Terrarium @ Golden Library
6-8PM Unframed Gala @ Buffalo Rose
Join us for our annual UNFRAMED GALA – an unforgettable night supporting your Art Center.
6:30PM Colorado Summit Ultimate Frisbee Game @ Marv Kay Stadium
SEE THE COMPLETE CALENDAR OF EVENTS.
LIVE MUSIC
5-7PM Wade Sutton @ Morris & Mae
5-8PM Live Music @ Eddy Taproom
5:30-8:30PM Talk Box @ Goosetown Station
6-9PM Jay Martin @ Barrels and Bottles @ Camp George West
6-10PM Colorado Southern @ Dirty Dogs Roadhouse
6-9PM Cross-Eyed Jim @ Mountain Toad
6-10PM Brian Hornbuckle Band @ Wrigley’s
7-10PM David Henning @ The Buffalo Rose
9PM Karaoke @ Ace Hi Tavern
GOLDEN HISTORY MOMENT
In 1990, Tom Young and other members of the Golden Volunteer Fire Department answered a call to rescue an injured, stranded hang glider. There was a rescue helicopter above the scene with firefighters rappelling down to help. The glider was in the way and while attempting to move it, Tom was dragged over a rock outcropping and fell, resulting in a spinal cord injury and leaving him paralyzed in the process.
This week, we’ve been going through the history of the accident, Tom’s recovery, and the community’s response to his injury. I asked Tom to finish the story for us.
Tom:
As I lay in the hospital, newly paralyzed, I was really depressed. I couldn’t see a reason to go on living. I didn’t want my children to see me with a steel “halo” screwed into my head and IVs going into my arm. I was also on a ventilator because I was unable to breathe on my own. The ventilator made it impossible for me to speak.
The doctors told me I would never again breathe on my own again. I definitely didn’t want to live that way, so I worked hard, minutes at a time, to do without it, even though I was struggling for air. I finally weaned myself off the ventilator on the day of the walkathon, when so many citizens of Golden walked all the way to St. Anthony’s to show their love and support. I believe it was that event that gave me the drive to prove the doctors wrong.
I did see my children after some time in intensive care. Matthew, who was four at the time, came right over and investigated my medical devices. Michelle was only one and a half, and she hid her face in her mom’s shoulder. I spent 28 days in the ICU and two weeks on a step-down unit at St Anthony’s Hospital. I was then transferred to Craig Rehabilitation Hospital in Englewood to learn how to live the rest of my life in a wheelchair. Through all of this, Linda was by my side.
Even after returning home, I was still in a lot of pain. Eventually, more surgery and a change in wheelchairs solved that problem and I’ve been relatively pain-free ever since.
The City was great, holding my job as Fire Department Manager for me. That was the only salaried position in the whole department–everyone else was volunteering. The expectation was that the job would eventually grow into a paid Fire Chief position.
When I was ready to go back to work, I returned as a volunteer. The City used my salary to hire an assistant to do the things I couldn’t, like taking photos.
It soon became evident that I wouldn’t be able to do my old job. For one thing, there were a lot of morning meetings, and I work with a nurse for about two hours every morning, to get me ready to go and in my chair. Also–at first, I could only work about an hour a day before getting tired. Eventually, I worked up to seven hours a day, five days a week, then I would come home and keep working–typical workaholic.
The City hired the first career fire chief in 1996.My job title then became Media Services Captain. I spent many hours learning and honing my skills in the media world. I worked on publications, training videos, whatever the department needed. In fact, our internal department newsletter won an award from the City-County Communications & Marketing Association.
I continued in that position for about twenty-five years. When Covid came along in 2020, the Chief at that time sent me home, out of an abundance of caution. I have yet to return to work due to many changes in both the City and the Fire Department. My assistant has retired and my office is now occupied by another division.
I would like to have a job to go to (and Linda would like that too!), but with so many changes within the fire department and the city a plan for returning has proven to be challenging.
GoldenToday:
How old are the kids now?
Tom:
Matthew is 37 and Michelle is 34. Matt got a degree as a Petroleum Engineer from the School of Mines, but the oil industry was depressed when he got out of school. He applied for a firefighter job and has since promoted to an Engineer position with the North Metro Fire Department in Broomfield/Northglenn.
Michelle is working as an Emergency Communications Specialist for JeffComm, which does the dispatching for all of Jefferson County police and fire. They both love their jobs!
GoldenToday:
Emergency response runs in the family–both you and your brother Frank, and now your kids. Was your father a firefighter?
Tom:
No, but the Volunteer Firefighters hung out in his restaurant, called Dud’s, which is now the Buffalo Rose. They called it “Station 3 The Long Branch Division.” My wife’s grandfather sold him the bar, back in the ’40s.
I’m now on the board of Directors of the Fairmount Fire Protection District–and have been for more than 20 years. My father-in-law started that fire department in 1962, and he and his twin brother were both firefighters. So was their father. So yeah, it runs in the family.
GoldenToday:
There are a lot of new residents in Golden since your accident happened, so you’re probably not as universally recognized in town as you used to be. I see you and Linda at a lot of Golden events. Would you like people to approach you and introduce themselves?
Tom:
Oh yeah, I like talking to people and explaining my injury and how my wheelchair works. I always like meeting Golden residents!
GoldenToday:
Anything else you want my readers to know?
Tom:
I’m at peace with where I am. I’ve done a lot of peer counseling of other accident victims and other people who are in a low place in their lives. If you’re willing to apply yourself, you can always find a good purpose for your life.
Thanks to the Golden History Museum for providing the online cache of historic Transcripts, and to the Golden Transcript for documenting our history since 1866!
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