It can be said that by now, everybody knows that our fellow classmate, 11th grader Jon Fajans, has a broken ankle. This happened in late October during gym class. He was warming up with his team, playing football, when he slipped on the wet grass, causing him to break his ankle. Unfortunately, he missed the following two weeks of school and has been in a wheelchair ever since. He had a cast on, but recently had it taken off. Currently he is in a boot. He is making a slow recovery, as this will take a lot of time to heal completely. He will most likely be in a wheelchair for a while. However, he seems to be getting around pretty well throughout the building. He doesn’t let his current immobility get in the way of being himself and doing what he has to get done. We asked him a few questions about his situation and how he feels about it all:

Do you feel like your injury has impaired you a great amount?

I feel this has impaired me. I can’t walk, and getting around is harder. I won’t walk for a while so it will suck until I can.

When are you hoping to fully recover?

I am hoping to get my boot off in 6 weeks, mid-January. But even after that I will probably have to get physical therapy for my ankle so I am not sure when I will fully recover.

Do you feel like you are receiving support from your peers?

Somewhat. I don’t think I get the full amount of support I need. People never asked to sign my cast, or carry my books or stuff. And they all hate me for running over their toes.

When will you stop running over people’s toes?

Here’s the thing. I don’t intentionally try to run over people’s feet. I can’t see behind me, and people decide to walk behind me when it is a bad time. So when people decide to not be behind me, that is when toes will no longer be crushed.

As you read above, Jon has been notorious for running people’s feet over with his wheelchair. At times, he just forgets to look out for others feet. We asked a few people their input on the whole thing:

Cori Hardcastle:

Has Jon ever run over your feet?

Jon runs over my feet at least once a day

What is his excuse?

Jon says that I should watch out for him because he can not see behind him when he is backing up hence the constant running over of my toes. I can say one thing I am glad it is not sandal season.

Do you hope Jon recovers soon?

Of course I hope Jon recovers soon, my feet have been waiting for the day. However I will miss all of his wheelchair jokes and watching him wheel through the hallway as fast as possible.

Josh Rumsey (co-writer for “This Week in Galway”):

Have you been supportive of Jon and his injury?

Probably not as much as I should be, I called him a wuss when he first fell, and as he’s recovering it’s been interesting to watch all of his humor about it, I mean I gave him the nickname “Hotwheels” so I’d say I support him and his wussness.

Do you think this whole thing has been hard for Jon?

It has to be, the main struggle must be getting used to being in the wheelchair, but it looks like he’s enjoying it, seeing as he rides down the hallways at Mach 13.

Do you think others are helping him out as best they can?

I’d say so, yeah. Many of Jon’s friends see ample opportunity to grab the wheelchair and see how fast they can go with it. I don’t know if that’s considered “helping,” but Jon seems to enjoy it, so it can’t be THAT bad.

Riley Flint:

Do you consider yourself to be a good friend of Jon’s?

Yes , I consider myself a good friend of Jon.

Are you supportive of Jon and aid him with his needs?

As his friend of Jon’s I try to be supportive. Unfortunately Jon fancies himself an independent person and likes to refuse any form of assistance. But he generally enjoys the “Hot Wheels” jokes and will accept help from time to time.

Do you think Jon’s impairment has changed his personality?

Yes I believe that Jon’s impairment has affected his personality. I think he has naturally become more frustrated when doing simple activities. But I believe when he gets his cast off he will be the same old moaning Jon, the school loves and needs.

Well, there you have it! Jon Fajans will hopefully recover in the nearby future. We wish him the best. We will do a follow up article about his recovery in a few weeks. If you’re interested for his follow up  and more cool topics,  make sure to keep reading “This Week in Galway.” We post new articles once a week.