By Phoenix Fuel
To get through those long, hard days sometimes all it takes is a little encouragement. And while at times that may be hard to find, some individuals can prove to be a source of inspiration.
Daniel Aldana is known as a man who defied the odds. Seven years ago, Aldana was faced with a life-or-death situation having to undergo more than twenty surgeries and almost lost his life three times after being hit by a Jeep along the freeway in Chandler. Recovery wasn’t easy as his left leg was constantly infected and kept him sick. Eventually, Aldana made the tough call to amputate his leg using his strength and bravery to get him through the difficult time.
However, the loss of his leg did not stop or even slow down Aldana from reaching his dreams to build custom trucks. So he went on to apply for a lift technician position at Lifted Trucks in Arizona. When it came time for his interview, the employees at Lifted Trucks had no idea Aldana’s circumstances. At the time, Aldana was wearing pants and was a strong man who would get the job done. Since he has started working at Lifted Trucks, he continues to encourage and amaze his co-workers each and every day.
Mike Halland, the marketing manager for Lifted Trucks told ABC15 Arizona, “He doesn’t ask for help, which is part of the reason why we wanted to help because he’s not asking for it.” Inspired by his strength, Halland and his coworkers started a GoFundMe in order to gift Aldana a new prosthetic leg. Colleagues at Lifted Trucks believe that this new prosthetic will allow Aldana to do more of what he loved before his accident.
The new prosthetic is expected to cost around $10,ooo. In order to gift this to Aldana, the GoFundMe fundraiser requires a little less than half to reach its goal. Now Lifted Trucks are reaching out to the community to help reach their goal and give back to their fellow colleague.
Aldana serves as a reminder that even during difficult times where any task seems impossible – all it takes is a little encouragement and dedication. His story has inspired those around him. He serves as a reminder to strive and be source of encouragement to continue to lift others up. Now isn’t that something we call can and should strive for?