MARCH 19, 2021, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A11
“The next thing I remember is there takes a month before I can get comfort-
being two women holding me, then there able being back outside,” he said. “My
was a cop and then I heard LifeFlight ministry is in the streets though.”
landing not too far away,” Sunny said.
In Keizer, he’s found his own space in
The women were ER nurses, the offi - the community, one where the commu-
cer had seen him fl ying through the nity, in most respects, allows him some
air as he performed other duties, the dignity and a police force he himself
LifeFlight helicopter had been in the stands behind in every way.
area after a prior call had been canceled.
“I would take a bullet for any one of
The accident destroyed his back and the offi cers in this town,” Sunny said.
wiped away most of his memories.
In his mid-60s, according to court
As he underwent emergency surgery, records for three minor off enses more
Sunny remembers looking down and than a decade old, Sunny is worried he’s
seeing himself on the surgical stretcher suff ering from dementia, but doesn't
and looking up to fi nd angels on either have an offi cial diagnosis. Paranoia
side. When he looked back down, he creeped in throughout the interview
was surrounded by a massive crowd of but, rather than let it control him, he
unknown faces. What happened next, for tries to combat the thoughts by setting a
him, was so clear
good example for
and powerful that
others.
he scrunched up
While
petty
his face, held his
crimes like shop-
hand slightly over
lifting helped him
his head as he rode
survive for a time,
a spirit and pulled
he got tired of
words from the
“hearing mothers
ether like an incan-
tell children to
tation: “It wasn't
put items back in
the spoken word,
line at the grocery
it was thought and
store because they
feeling. But what it
couldn’t aff ord it."
said was nobody
"I felt like I had
will think of you
become one of the
less if you choose
takers and that
not to do what you
wasn’t a good feel-
are about to be
ing.," Sunny said.
SUNNY
asked. We're going
Despite
his
to need some of
joviality,
living
you to go back because we're losing outside takes a greater and greater toll.
down there. You will be put through all
“It’s cold having to put up a tent at
the same temptations as everyone else, night and tear it down in the morning,”
only it'll be tougher on you because Sunny said. “There are days when it
they will know who you are. After a time seems like my whole day is spent just
of suff ering, this day will come to you getting ready to go to sleep and trying
in bits and pieces. When it comes full, to go to sleep and then waking up and
remember this day as yours. But you've fi nding a new place to sleep.”
got to move fast, get as many as you can
When asked whether he would take
because time is short.”
advantage of the services off ered by
After receiving the message, Sunny local agencies and given a permanent
recalls being pulled back into his body place to stay, he hesitated.
against his will, and again, serendipity
“If I could fi nd someone who would
intervened. One of the top back sur- give me a permanent spot for my tent or
geons in the country happened to be a spot where I could park a little RV, I
visiting the hospital where he ended up, would rather do that,” Sunny said.
Sunny said. He helped the regular staff
He’s heard of others who managed
reconstruct his spine.
to set up online donation campaigns for
“After all that, everyone at the hospi- shelterless people who set up residence
tal called me the ‘miracle baby.’”
in the hearts of their community, but
The accident and the memory prob- reports of such eff orts seem to end up in
lems it triggered put him on the path fraud or criminal charges as frequently
to being shelterless. Trusting others as they are successful.
became a particularly fraught gambit.
Even if he did fi nd a permanent
He still has trouble piecing together shelter, he would like to remain part of
what came before and relies mostly the community. Giving out high-fi ves
on what others tell him of who he was to children during the holiday lights
before the crash. He said he was a con- parade is a highlight of his year.
scientious objector to the Vietnam War
He’s grateful to live in Keizer, a city
who enlisted only after going on the lam in which some residents fi nd him as
for a year and getting caught. He tells vibrant and necessary as any other
tales of daring escapes and rescues in piece of the community.
country, reenacts a moment where he
“This is a beautiful city, it should be
hung from the skid of a helicopter as it seen as beautiful, and I try to do a little
took off .
bit to help keep it going,” he said.
“I decided early on that if I was told
something 12 times I could believe it
was true,” Sunny said.
EDITOR’S NOTE:
Other stories include falling into
We are unable to verify some claims of the
drug use, possible time as a dealer, a
subject of this story, but time and tide wear
job as a traffi c control supervisor where
down the best of us. Being shelterless
he excelled. Sunny said he hasn’t lived
for any length of time accelerates the
indoors except for brief periods ever
process and Sunny has lived in the
since.
streets for roughly two decades.
“I’ve had some friends off er me a
couch for a few days at a time, but then it
We didn’t set
the bar
WE ARE
THE BAR!
“ This community is beautiful and the whole staff is so attentive
and caring! The atmosphere is engaging and respectful and it is
so good to know that Mom is in such good hands. I would highly
recommend this community to anyone! ”
— HEIDI
r ached t h e age of si i x ty-
t ose wh o ha v e re
v i n g f o r th
y two.
Qual l i ty senior li l vi
Come See the Finest in Senior Living!
CALL (503) 390 -1300
1165 McGee Ct NE, Keizer, OR • www.VillageAtKeizerRidge.com