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.
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“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.
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“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.