Quadalajara - The Utopia That Once Was - a book by Jack Tumidajski - A history of paraplegic and quadriplegic men and women in Mexico

Jimmy Leitz and Charlie Gilliam in front of the PVA Clubhouse

Chapter 11 - Finding My Niche: The Mexico PVA

... By the time we arrived in the town of Tequila, it became apparent that Jimmy and I were suffering from the early symptoms of heat exhaustion. We unloaded from JoAnn's Impala and into a still open, but empty, house of ill repute. Miguel helped Jimmy inside and came back to assist Alberto with Tom and me. Tom's attendant was off for this afternoon, as two attendants could easily handle three quads. The inviting ceiling fans and cold beer in the thin brown bottle all three of us quads could easily handle, would surely spell relief after our out-of-town drive under the hot afternoon sun.

Unfortunately, the slow-moving ceiling fan seemed to be circulating nothing but warm air, and the effects of the alcohol only served to sap my strength even more. Before long, Jimmy signaled Miguel that he felt weak and needed to lie down. The proprietor was both understanding and accommodating. He led Jimmy and Miguel to an empty room. Soon, Alberto was helping me into bed in another downstairs room. This time, the combination of the ceiling fan above the bed and a wet towel from the car did the trick. ...

Charlie Gilliam and Jim Lietz in front of Mexco PVA Clubhouse.

The tandem served the chapter as president and vice-president in fiscal '74 (June 1973 to June 1974).