Adjustable Bed Donation Helps Colorado Veteran Find Better Sleep

Adjustable Bed Donation Helps Colorado Veteran Find Better Sleep.

Prior to receiving his Easy Rest Adjustable Bed, Army Corporal Nicholas Orchowski suffered from insomnia, muscle spasms and had a hard time finding comfort at night. Now, he’s not waking up as frequently and he’s getting a longer, deeper sleep that allows him to feel more rested in the morning.
Army Corporal Nicholas Orchowski was only averaging four hours of sleep a night and had trouble finding comfort in bed after suffering a debilitating injury in Baghdad, Iraq nine years ago. Now, thanks to the donation of an Easy Rest Adjustable Bed, he’s enjoying a deeper, more solid sleep and he’s waking up feeling better rested, and with improved leg circulation, thanks to his new bed.

See also: Corporal Harold Hacker, Kansas

“My wife and I are both getting better sleep,” said Cpl. Orchowski. “With this bed it’s easier to get and stay comfortable and I’m not waking up as much to change positions during the night. Since receiving my Easy Rest Adjustable Bed I’m averaging a solid seven hours of sleep a night.”

Cpl. Orchowski served as a Military Police Officer in Baghdad in 2004. That May he was part of a mission to pick up firearms and ammunition for a new unit that was coming into Iraq. Cpl. Orchowski was assigned to be the gunner of the lead Humvee providing security for the convoy. During the drive between bases, his Humvee was hit head-on by a dump truck filled with bricks, loose rocks and explosives. The Humvee was blown into pieces and he was thrown from the vehicle. He broke several vertebrae in his back, shattered his right elbow, tore the patellar tendon in his right leg and suffered a traumatic brain injury. His injuries left him paralyzed from the neck down.

After being stabilized in the field, Cpl. Orchowski was flown to Landstuhl, Germany for the first of many surgeries and was quickly transferred to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. He spent three months there before moving to the VA Spinal Cord Injury Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After countless surgeries, and a great deal of therapy, he has regained some function in his legs and left arm and is considered an incomplete quadriplegic. Today he is walking with the use of braces and uses a wheelchair occasionally. He has not regained the use of his right arm but he is still fighting to strengthen his body.

“We are thrilled to be able to help Cpl. Orchowski achieve a better night’s sleep with an Easy Rest Adjustable Bed,” said Jeff Mowrey, Chief Operating Officer for the Company. “He has given so much in service to our Country and it’s an honor to be able to thank him in this way. That’s why we created the Beds For Our Troops Program.”

When asked what he thought was the beds best features Cpl. Orchowski didn’t hesitate with his answer. “The ability to adjust the head and foot of the bed and the massage features are the best benefits for me,” he stated. “No more using 20 pillows to find a comfortable position. And the massage is awesome and relaxing. My kids love that feature the most. We get into bed as a family and turn the massage motors on and it knocks the kids right out,” he added happily.

Cpl. Orchowski lives in Parker, Colorado with his wife and two daughters. He is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys participating in adaptive skiing, hunting and fishing programs.

Adjustable Bed Donation Help Veteran From Maryland Overcome Back Pain

Adjustable Bed Donation Help Veteran From Maryland Overcome Back Pain.

When GySgt Hayes heard he would be receiving a free adjustable bed from Easy Rest Adjustable Sleep System, he crossed his fingers and hoped it would help him sleep through the night. He and his wife say it’s done that and more, and they tell everyone that their new bed “does everything but sing them to sleep.”

Marine Gunnery Sergeant John Hayes has not been able to sleep for more than a few hours at a time since he stepped on an IED in Sangin, Afghanistan on December 28, 2010. Two months ago he received a new adjustable bed through Easy Rest Adjustable Sleep System’s “Beds For Our Troops” program. Now he sleeps straight through the night.

“Before receiving our Easy Rest adjustable bed John would only sleep about 3 hours at a time,” reported GySgt Hayes wife, Janel. “He couldn’t move around much to get comfortable and he couldn’t sleep well laying flat. Now we both sleep way better than before. After lying in the bed for 10 minutes John conks out and he sleeps for 9 or 10 hours. And, it’s even helped me with my back pain,” she added.

GySgt Hayes had been in the Army for 12 years and was on his fourth deployment when his partner located an undetonated ordinance. While retracing his steps to return and assist him, he stepped on a buried IED, resulting in the traumatic amputations of both of his legs. He was flown to Landstuhl, Germany and once stabilized he was brought to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, where he has been receiving medical treatment and assistance ever since. GySgt Hayes has had more than 60 surgeries to date, including one that required the removal of his pelvis on his left side.

“This bed has been very helpful,” said Janel. “It’s been much easier for my husband to get out of bed without struggling. The massage motors are what put him to sleep. Me, I love how the bed moves. And the mattress isn’t too hard or too soft, it’s perfect! This bed does everything but sing us to sleep.”

GySgt Hayes isn’t letting his injuries get in the way of enjoying life. He joined Achilles International and learned how to use a hand-crank wheelchair – a three-wheeled cycle powered by hand pedals – and has competed in several races. He’s started to enjoy one of his favorite pastimes again by learning some adaptive fishing techniques. He also enjoys working on old cars when he has the opportunity. He lives in Maryland with his wife and three daughters.

Adjustable Bed Donation Helps Colorado Veteran’s Morning Back Pain

Adjustable Bed Donation Helps Colorado Veteran’s Morning Back Pain.

For the past six years, Staff Sergeant Travis Strong of Golden, Colorado had trouble sleeping at night and woke with a sore back in the mornings. That’s all changed thanks to the donation of an adjustable bed from Easy Rest Adjustable Sleep System.

November 6, 2012 – Baltimore, MD — Staff Sergeant Travis Strong has had difficulty sleeping for the past six years after being severely injured by an Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP) roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq. But that has changed since receiving a new adjustable bed from Easy Rest Adjustable Sleep System. Now, he reports that he is sleeping much better and experiencing less pain in his back since he received his new bed as a recipient of Easy Rest’s Beds For Our Troops Program.
SSG Strong was on his second deployment to Baghdad when he was injured. His platoon was on a night patrol enforcing curfews when they turned onto an empty street and rolled over the EFP bomb. He knew he was hit, and as he came in and out of consciousness he was convinced he was going to die. Thanks to the hard work of the medics in the field and the doctors in Balad and Baghdad, Iraq, Landstuhl, Germany and Walter Reed in Washington, DC, he survived. He lost both of his legs in the explosion and has undergone countless months of rehabilitation, recovery and therapy to learn how to use his new prosthetics.

“Because I have no legs my back arches a lot, especially with the bed I had because it sagged in the middle. I used to have a lot of back pain in the morning,” said SSG Strong. “I really like my new bed and I feel better. My back pain is gone in the mornings now.”

“We are honored to be able to help SSG Strong achieve a good night’s sleep and an improved comfort in bed,” said Mo Maghari, National Sales Manager for the Easy Rest adjustable bed brand. “It’s the least we can do for all he’s given for our Country and that’s the reason we created the Beds For Our Troops program.”

After being discharged from the hospital SSG Strong moved to Golden, Colorado. This past August he married his fiancé and they enjoyed a romantic honeymoon in the Virgin Islands. SSG Strong enjoys mono-skiing in the winter and participating in marathons on his hand bike in the summer.

Adjustable Bed Donation Helps Veteran From California Sleep Easily

Adjustable Bed Donation Helps Veteran From California Sleep Easily.

When Sgt. Bond found out that he would be the first recipient of Easy Rest’s Bed For Our Troops Program he was excited and hopeful that he might find some comfort and a little bit more sleep. What he got was beyond his wildest dreams.

March 28, 2012 – Baltimore, MD — Army Sergeant Justin Bond of Hanford, Californiahasn’t had a good night’s sleep since he was severely injured in an intense gun battle in Fallujah, Iraq almost eight years ago. But all that has changed thanks to the donation of a new adjustable bed from Easy Rest Adjustable Sleep System. Now he reports that he’s had to dust off the alarm clock he hasn’t used in years to help him get up each morning.

“My old bed was horribly uncomfortable,” recalled Sgt. Bond. “I could never get comfortable in it and we couldn’t afford to buy a good mattress set so I started sleeping on an air mattress on the floor. Only problem was the mattress leaked and we’d have to fill it back up two or three times a night. It was also hard for me to get up and down off of the floor,” he added.

In 2004 Sgt. Bond was a gunner on a truck supporting the battle of Fallujah. During the firefight he sustained multiple injuries to his lower torso and was hit with an AK-47 round directly through the center of both knees. His injuries were so severe doctors were forced to amputate his left leg above the knee. Since that time he has endured countless operations and he now has a metal pelvis, hip and tail bone.

Upon returning home from the hospital the injuries to his back, hip and legs constantly left him in pain and made it difficult for him to get comfortable in bed. He often retreated to his recliner just to try to find a comfortable position and a few hours of sleep. Severe posttraumatic stress left him with regular nightmares that further affected the duration and quality of his sleep.

When Sgt. Bond found out that he would be the first recipient of Easy Rest’s Bed For Our Troops Program, he was excited and hopeful that he might find some comfort and a little bit more sleep. What he got was beyond his wildest dreams.

“Since receiving the bed a month ago I sleep through the night regularly,” said Bond. “I fall asleep so easily now and I wake up refreshed. Before it was so hard for me to get up and my body didn’t move because I was so stiff. Now I’m not nearly as stiff and I feel so much better. I sleep nine hours a night now and I can’t remember when I’ve slept that long. I’ve had to start using an alarm clock again to get up in the morning,” he added with a chuckle.

Sgt. Bond’s wife, Laurel, reports that “he rarely complains about his back pains anymore and he’s feeling a whole lot better. And, I’m sleeping better, too, without all of his tossing and turning keeping me awake at night.”

“We are thrilled to be able to provide Sgt. Bond with an Easy Rest Adjustable Bed,” said Mo Maghari, National Sales Director for the Company. “We feel strongly that we have a responsibility to give back to the community and we can give no greater gift than the gift of sleep and rest,” he added.

Sgt. Bond is using his new Easy Rest Adjustable Bed to rest up for a 60-day cross-country Segway ride to raise money for Our Heroes Dreams, a non-profit organization that he founded. The charity assists veterans with counseling and financial aid, and grants wishes to injured veterans to help them find meaning and purpose in their lives despite their injuries.

Sgt. Bond lives with his wife and three young children.

Adjustable Bed Donation Helps Veteran Sleep Through The Night

Adjustable Bed Donation Helps Wounded Texas Veteran Sleep Longer And More Restfully At Night.

Staff Sergeant Ernest Gonzalez of Killeen, Texas is sleeping better at night thanks to a donation of an adjustable bedfrom Easy Rest Adjustable Sleep System. SSG Gonzalez is the latest wounded warrior to receive a free bed through the Company’s Beds For Our Troops Program.

Nine years of active duty supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom left SSG Gonzalez with a variety of medical issues that affect his daily life and cause him to have great difficulty sleeping soundly through the night. During his overseas assignments, his body was battered by the concussive forces from numerous improvised explosive devices that detonated near him while he was on routine patrols. His most severe injury came when his unit was ambushed while on a foot patrol in Muqdadiyah, Iraq. During the firefight he sustained multiple shrapnel wounds in both legs that left him with lifetime problems in his legs as well as a Traumatic Brain Injury.

Prior to receiving his Easy Rest Adjustable Bed he was getting three to four hours of poor quality sleep a night. Now, three weeks later that has definitely changed. “I’m definitely sleeping much better now,” stated Gonzalez happily. “I’m not tossing and turning as much as I used to and I’m not in as much pain in the mornings. I don’t wake up with the ‘pins and needles’ feelings in my legs very often either, and that is really great,” he added. Gonzalez reports that he’s now getting almost six hours of sleep each night and he’s waking up significantly less than he used to in the past.

SSG Gonzalez believes the best feature of the bed is the ability to adjust the head and foot to a position that is comfortable for him at any given time. “In my old bed I use to have five to six pillows of various sizes that I would place in different spots around my body. Now I just use one thin pillow,” he said with a hint of amazement. “Not having all those pillows moving around the bed with you makes it so much easier to sleep.”

The benefits of his new bed have even extended to his wife. “My wife is sleeping like a rock now,” stated Gonzalez. “I think that’s because of a combination of the bed being so comfortable and my decreased tossing and turning that have helped her to get a really good night’s sleep. She’s really happy with our new bed too,” he added.

Now that SSG Gonzalez is sleeping better he’s looking forward to getting involved with activities with the Wounded Warrior Project to help him occupy his time and assist in his ongoing therapy. He lives at home with his wife and two daughters and reports that he can’t keep his youngest daughter out of his new bed. “She’s become an expert at adjusting the bed and she loves watching television while using the massage motor. My wife’s going out of town next week and my daughter claimed dibs on her mother’s side of the bed while she’s away,” he said with a laugh.

First Woman Receives Donated Easy Rest Adjustable Bed Through ‘Beds For Our Troops’ Program

First Woman Receives Donated Adjustable Bed Through Easy Rest Adjustable Sleep System’s ‘Beds For Our Troops’ Program.

Prior to receiving her new adjustable bed USAF Captain Mary McGriff needed sleep medication to help her get even four hours of sleep. Since receiving her donated adjustable bed she sleeps 9 to 10 straight and hasn’t had to take a single sleeping pill to achieve a full nights rest.

United States Air Force Captain Mary McGriff, of Spring Lake, North Carolina is the first woman to receive an adjustable bed through Easy Rest Adjustable Sleep System’s “Beds For Our Troops” program. As a major component of the Company’s commitment to giving back to the community, Easy Rest created the “Beds For Our Troops” program to donate one Easy Rest adjustable bed per month to a wounded service member.

Captain McGriff served in the Air Force at Balad Air Base, Iraq and Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. During those deployments she was exposed to multiple rocket and mortar attacks in addition to a car bomb explosion. Other assignments such as filling sandbags to secure buildings and create bunkers as well as helping lift wounded soldiers in the hospital aggravated degenerating discs in her back as well as other spinal conditions she had. She also suffers with breathing issues from inhaling environmental hazards.

“My injuries have caused many problems with my sleep,” stated McGriff. “I suffered from constant aches and pains in my back and neck due to my injuries. In order to sleep I used to have to use an inhaler to help with my coughing fits and I used sleep medication regularly,” she added.

Now that she’s been sleeping in her new adjustable bed for a full month she’s become a new woman. She hasn’t used sleep medication since she received her adjustable bed and she says her cough is much quieter when she sleeps now. “Both my husband and I are sleeping better in our new adjustable bed,” she stated. “Being able to sleep upright has really helped me. I’ve gotten rid of all the pillows I used to use to prop up my head and legs and I’m sleeping a whole lot better.”

Prior to receiving her new adjustable bed Captain McGriff would sleep for about four hours at a time. Now she reports that she’s sleeping for 9 or 10 hours straight. “In my old bed I’d wake up after 4 hours and couldn’t fall back asleep. Now, if I wake up I just adjust the bed to a different position to relieve my pain and I fall right back to sleep,” she said happily. “And my husband is sleeping much better because I’m not waking him up by moving around and constantly adjusting pillows,” she added.

Captain McGriff lives in Spring Lake, North Carolina with her husband and two teenaged children. She is active in the Wounded Warrior Project’s Soldier Ride Program, a unique four-day cycling opportunity for Wounded Warriors to use cycling and the bonds of service to overcome physical, mental, or emotional wounds.

Special Operations Veteran Receives Gift Of Sleep And Improved Quality of Life Thanks To Adjustable Bed Donation

Special Operations Veteran Receives Gift of Sleep And Improved Quality Of Life Thanks To Adjustable Bed Donation.

“I used to wake up exhausted and in pain but not anymore and that makes a huge difference to my day. Easy Rest has made my quality of life better.”

Chief Petty Officer Alexander Semmler hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in years and he longed for a night that he could put his head on his pillow and not wake up until morning. Thanks to a donation of a free adjustable bed from Easy Rest’s Beds For Our Troops program, that’s exactly what he’s getting now.

CPO Semmler spent 24 years in special operations in the Navy as a diver, explosives expert and sniper. During the invasion of Iraq in 2003 he was driving a truck full of explosives when part of a bridge collapsed and his truck slammed down the ravine. His injuries were exacerbated by the weight of his helmet and body armor. The abuse his body took that day has left him with years of chronic neck and back pain and numbness in his limbs.

“I was in constant chronic pain from my neck and spine injuries. The doctors gave me lots of medicine to numb me but the longest I could sleep was about two hours. I would wake and have to try to reposition myself to alleviate the pain and try to fall back asleep,” he stated. “People don’t realize how important a good nights sleep is until you can’t sleep. I hadn’t had a good solid night’s sleep in years and I would have given up just about anything to get one.”

CPO Semmler received his new bed four weeks ago and he couldn’t be more thrilled with how his life has changed because of his new adjustable bed. “I absolutely love it. I can sleep! The bed supports my neck and back and man, it’s nice to get a full night’s sleep,” he declared. “In the past it was so hard to find sleep. I sometimes slept on the floor or the couch out of desperation. Now I’m sleeping in this great bed for a full eight hours and the last few weeks I’ve even needed my alarm clock to wake me up,” he exclaimed.

“I’m feeling better, more rested and not stiff and sore when I wake up. I love the massage feature. It relaxes me and I can sleep. I used to wake up exhausted and in pain but not anymore and that makes a huge difference to my day. Easy Rest has made my quality of life better. I look forward to going to bed now because I know I’m going to wake up feeling good, when before I dreaded going to bed because of the pain and sleep issues I had.

“I’ve been singing your praises to everyone. Thank you for everything you are doing for wounded warriors. It really means a lot to us,” he concluded.

CPO Semmler lives in Panama City Beach, Florida with his wife. They have an active Christian ministry and are board members for the Children’s Home Society, a state agency that helps children with troubled home lives.

Texas Veteran Finds It Easier To Get Through The Day Now That He’s Sleeping Through The Night

Texas Veteran Finds It Easier To Get Through The Day Now That He’s Sleeping Through The Night.

Army Specialist Jeremy Vogel hasn’t been able to get a full night’s sleep since suffering a severe injury in Afghanistan in 2011. Now, thanks to the donation of a therapeutic bed through Easy Rest Adjustable Sleep System’s Beds For Our Troops Program he’s sleeping through the night on his new adjustable bed and enjoying a better quality of life during his waking hours.

SPC Vogel was injured on January 3, 2011 in Jalalabad, Afghanistan when the truck he was driving was hit by a 150 pound pressure plated IED. The blast blew the front end of his truck open, disabling his vehicle and injuring the occupants. He sustained a lower back compression fracture, a brain injury and a fractured knee. Since that time he’s had trouble sleeping through the night.

“I typically woke up four to five times a night and had trouble falling back to sleep because of the pain and discomfort,” explained Vogel. “It was very frustrating to lay awake, tossing and turning trying to go back to sleep,” he remarked.

When asked about his experience with his new electric bed he said, “My new adjustable bed is awesome. I love it. I’m getting a full eight hours of sleep now and I don’t wake up very often at all. I have less back pain and I feel more energized in the morning because I’m getting more sleep at night, and that makes it easier to get through the day,” he observed.

“I love that the head can be raised. That makes it really comfortable and my daughter loves it too. She likes to watch TV in bed with me. When I go to sleep I elevate the foot section of the bed because it helps me to keep my back straight which helps keep my back pain to a minimum,” he added.

“Everyone at Easy Rest has been great to deal with. They were all friendly and helpful, especially the delivery crew. Thank you so much for this gift.”

SPC Vogel lives in McKinney, Texas with his daughter and girlfriend.

Beds For Our Troops: Adjustable Bed Donations To Help Wounded Veterans

More than a decade of fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq has left thousands of American soldiers with injuries and wounds that make it difficult to rest comfortably in bed and achieve a quality night’s sleep. Their wounds and injuries make sleeping on flat beds difficult and painful. Many come home to beds that are old and uncomfortable and many of these Veterans wind up sleeping in separate bedrooms from their loved ones because of their pain and sleep issues.

Easy Rest has created a program to help wounded veterans rest easier by donating our adjustable beds to injured service members through our Beds For Our Troops program. Each month a new service member will receive the gift of rest and sleep. We are honored to be able to help these brave men and women and thank them for their service to our country.

You can see some of their stories by clicking on the navigation links on the left side of this page. If you know of a deserving injured veteran you can download the application to the right.

Giving Back

The Founders of Easy Rest Adjustable Sleep Systems have a passion for helping people rest easy and sleep peacefully every night. They also have a passion for helping others and believe strongly in the importance of giving back to the communities in which we live and work.