In a sense, his loss was everyone’s gain

Joseph "Joe" Cecala, TLC Mobile Health, Hackensack, NJ

Meet Joseph Cecala, a somewhat new NEMT driver. He’s only been on the job for approximately five months now, but is already making a name for himself among his clients. Formerly an emergency medical technician (EMT), Joe found another way to continue to care for people after losing one of his legs, following being hit by a drunk driver. In fact, according to the president of the company Joe drives for, Joe “just loves helping people, and the comments I get are like ‘Hey, Joe’s one of your best drivers. Joe’s very courteous, very professional, a very detail-oriented guy.’ His boss, Joaquin Torres, owner of TLC Mobile Health, says “It’s a pleasure having him on my team.”

Could he do it?
“When he walked into my office, I did not know he had a prosthetic leg. It wasn’t the first thing he started with. Finally, he said, ‘Hey, I got a prosthetic leg.’ Then he said, ‘Please don’t let this determine my job position. I really want to help. I really want to be part of this team.’ That’s why I started him as a driver.

“I was a little skeptical at first,” says Joaquin. “Was he able to perform transporting other people? But this guy was so persistent and would not take no for an answer. He didn’t let his amputation stop him, which I admired. He said to me, ‘Just because I got a prosthetic leg doesn’t mean that I’m handicapped.’ That's the way he put it.

“I started him as an ambulatory driver, serving people that could just walk to the vehicle, but he was one of those that would get out the car and help the person get inside the vehicle. Then, he kept asking me, ‘Can I do wheelchairs?’ Once again, I was a little skeptical, but he took all the courses to get certified and now he does wheelchairs. This guy loves helping people!

“That’s what I want my drivers to do, care for and have passion for the members that we’re transporting and that are traveling with us. That is Joe.”

And once you get to know Joe, you’ll quickly learn that while he may have a prosthetic leg that doesn’t stop him at all. In fact, he rides a motorcycle.

“Can I Get Joe?”
One facility requests Joe by name. Why? “Just the way he treats people and converses and sympathizes with the members,” says Joaquin. “They always call and either give a review or if they book another trip, they’ll be like, ‘Hey, can I get Joe?’ I say, ‘Yes. If he’s available at that time, yes.’ He’s very pleasant to talk to. His passion is just to help people.”

A Hero
For making your life’s work helping others overcome obstacles, and being a perfect example of your life’s work, doubtlessly inspiring others, we salute you, Joe Cecala. You are a Hero.

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