'I'm not a homebody': Coach who lost legs can hit the road again after free repair of minivan
Henry Owens reclaimed the independence he treasures Thursday after extensive repairs were finished on the 2005 Honda Odyssey previously adapted for him to drive after the loss of his legs in a 2018 parasailing accident.
"It's huge for me, because I'm not a homebody," the Carpentersville man said at the Midas in Barrington, where the restored minivan awaited him. "I need to get out."
The 53-year-old longtime youth football and basketball coach first received the vehicle in 2019 from Midas Regional Sales Manager Scott Kennen, who knew him through his own kids' participation in sports.
Only nine months after Owens' accident, workers at Midas in Crystal Lake converted the minivan into a handicapped-accessible one with hand controls for acceleration and braking.
And they've maintained it for free as Owens has racked up about 100,000 miles for his now-15-year-old son Kai's football games around the country.
Throughout his recovery, those games and the journeys to them have been invaluable to Owens' state of mind.
"I just love the highway," he said. "It's peaceful and calm and gives me an opportunity to reflect on my life."
But in the past couple of months, the Honda Odyssey faced a bigger-than-normal maintenance issue that included replacement of the engine, which proved hard to come by.
But both Owens and the crew at Midas believe in the long-term reliability of the newly rehabbed vehicle.
So does Tim Scanlan, Midwest division sales manager for NAPA, which donated many of the parts.
"We were happy to do it," he said. "It's a great cause. I would tell you it brings (the vehicle) back to where it was. If the consumer maintains the vehicle, it can last as long as the owner wants it."
And that vehicle proved to Owens four years ago that the change to his life wasn't going to be as all-pervasive as he'd spent six months fearing.
"It really opened my eyes," he said.
While most of his repairs were done at the Crystal Lake Midas, the pickup was in Barrington. Both locations are owned by Sam Khaira.
For a recent road trip, Owens did have to rent a similarly adapted vehicle. But he eagerly contemplated the return of his daily independence as he eyed the Odyssey awaiting him in front of the shop.
"I'm excited!" he said.