GREENWOOD — Reading a book to his two children are precious moments Dustin Moody isn't taking for granted.
He was away from his boys for about 6 months while recovering in a Chicago hospital.
The Trafalgar Police Officer's life changed following a pursuit on June 25. His injuries left him paralyzed from the waist down.
"It's 300 south, westbound where it T's. I'm trapped. It's not good," he radioed.
"It's not good," said Moody.
"Dustin you keep talking," said the dispatcher.
"We're coming to you buddy," said an officer.
Moody and the man he was chasing crashed into a tree line.
"Control please contact my family and tell them I love them," said Dustin.
The family is now navigating a new normal.
"The last thing I remember saying was Lord please help me. I would keep replaying that and would wake up in the middle of the night. That has since gone away and is something thankfully I don't deal with," said Dustin.
Recovery, both mentally and physically, hasn't been easy, but Dustin and his wife Emily continue to work at it together.
"Every day presents its own unique challenges, but [I'm] staying focused on faith, staying focused on family and getting better and continuing to fight and do everything I can," Dustin said.
"Your strength, the person you needed, was hurt," Dustin's wife Emily said. "Our lives were at a standstill ... it's been good because Dustin and I have had to learn things that the other person had to do."
With two children in car seats, a furry companion and Dustin's wheelchair, getting to and from places is a challenge.
RELATED: Community backs injured Trafalgar officer and family
The Moody's are thankful for the outpouring of support but are hoping for help getting an accessible van.
"Our son's birthday is coming up and that was one of the biggest things we would like to have. A van that we can just go without fear that Dustin's pain is too bad or the wheelchair wheel is going to pop. If we want to buy stuff, we have room in our car now," said Emily.
The Central Indiana Police Foundation has launched a fundraiser to help the Moody family.
-
Several rain chances through the weekend bring heavy rain to the state
Several rain chances heading into the end of the week and the first part of the weekend. Once the rain comes to an end, the pattern shifts and the heat is on.
Death investigation underway in Wayne County, foul play suspected
Police are investigating the death of person that died in the emergency department of Reid Health in Richmond. The coroner's office said evidence has indicated that foul play is involved.
Caitlin Clark leaves Fever's loss with a back injury
Caitlin Clark left the Indiana Fever's 111-109 loss to Phoenix with a back injury in the third quarter Wednesday night.
Indiana looks to artificial intelligence to root out Medicaid fraud
The Indiana FSSA has entered a 90-day pilot program with the U.S. CMS and Texas-based tech company Oracle, testing whether AI can stop “waste, fraud, and abuse”.
