Wheelchair hasn’t robbed Duane Pung of his joy in life and farming
Although a car accident in 2003 put Duane Pung in a wheelchair, it didn’t diminish his zest for life and his enjoyment of farming.
When hit by another vehicle, Pung and his two sons didn’t have a scratch on their bodies. But the impact was enough to snap Pung’s neck.
His spinal cord was severed at the C6 vertebra and he is now a quadriplegic.
“I’ve always been upbeat — you have to be to be a farmer,” said Pung. “There are too many things that could get a person down, like the weather and prices. My family and friends and the farm give me strength.”
“Every single time there is a big serious moment, five minutes later he cracks up laughing and you’d never know something was wrong,” said 10-year-old Vanessa Pung. See more in Jennie Zeitler’s feature story in the Dairyland Peach on Duane Pung.
PHOTO: While still in rehabilitation at Courage Center in Minneapolis in 2003, Duane Pung designed a lift that takes him from his wheelchair into the seat of any farm machinery. Jerry Mayers built it for him, making sure that it operates slowly enough to be safe. (Photo by Jennie Zeitler, Dairyland Peach)
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