Chad Maney takes a break in Karthaus recently. Mr. Maney is lucky to be alive following a truck crash that was caused by a medical condition in August. (Photo by Terry Whetstone)

Mr. Maney started his day out like he did every weekday; he got up early in the morning, climbed into his triaxle truck and headed down the road, but on that particular morning something happened. He wasn't aware of it, however, until he woke up with firefighters and paramedics working to free him from his truck.

Mr. Maney was traveling north on state Route 53 from Philipsburg toward Kylertown. He remembers the Hawk Run intersection, but that's all until he woke up.

Mr. Maney had blacked out, and his truck crossed the opposite lane of travel, went off the road and overturned onto the driver's side.

Witnesses said he was driving well when all of a sudden he turned left and went off the road.

Against his wishes, he went to the hospital via Moshannon Valley Emergency Medical Services Ambulance, but today, he's thankful that they suggested he go.

He said this was the second time he blacked out, the first time was about six months earlier, while he was sitting in his truck at a truck stop. He said he figured it was because he was working hard and hadn't eaten for a while but it turns out that wasn't the case.

When he was taken to Clearfield Hospital, the emergency room staff ran tests on him and detected a spot on his brain.

He was told he needed to go to Altoona Regional Health System, Altoona Hospital Campus, for further testing because Clearfield didn't have the technology Altoona Regional has. Altoona referred him to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Presbyterian Hospital.

He was there on Aug. 25 and met with the doctors who told him  he  had  a  brain  tumor  and the  best  option  was  surgery.

"Brain surgery is a scary thing to hear," he said. "But I thought it is something that has to be done, so let's do it."

Dr. L. Dade Lunsford was his physician and he said it was a DNET, or dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor.

The Internet describes it as a small mass present in the right temporal lobe, a slow-growing, benign tumor. Clinically it is in patients present with chronic intractable partial complex seizures.

The illness shows up, generally, in those ages 1 through 19. Dr. Lunsford told Mr. Maney this problem had been present in his brain for about 10 years. There's no real cause for it, it isn't hereditary and is something that shows up rarely.

"It's one of the rarest types of tumors you can get," Mr. Maney said. "How lucky am I?"

He joked that many have told him to play the lottery.

While Mr. Maney couldn't tell there was a medical problem, his family noticed changes, that he was coming home from work and staying home, he didn't run around like people his age and he was always tired.

"I'm not tired anymore," he said. "I feel like a completely different person."

Sept. 11 was when he went into surgery in Pittsburgh. He was taken from his hospital room at 5:15 a.m. and prepped for surgery. He went into the operating room at 7:15 and was done within two hours, then went to recovery for about two and a half hours.

He was concerned about how his hair would have to be cut. He didn't lose his hair, but he had the right side of his head shaved and now the remnants of a question mark can be seen near his ear.

He had the staples in the side of his head removed two weeks ago and the doctor said he's doing well. The tumor was not cancerous and he shouldn't have any complications from the tumor or the surgery.

But, being that he is a young man in fairly good shape, he never felt he needed medical insurance, which he wishes he had now.

"I'm definitely going to get some when I get back on my feet," he said.

Right now he's unemployed because he isn't allowed to drive for a while due to the medications he's taking, and those medications are expensive. One pill is $15 and he has to take two a day, spending $30 a day, or $900 a month.

He's home most of the time, being a television critic and watching Judge Judy.

"I get bored really easy," he said.

He has always been active - he drives racecars, drives a semi-truck in pulls and is a volunteer firefighter - and now he's limited in what he can do.

He disobeyed his mother's wishes on Sept. 20 when he had his dad take him to the Harmony Grange Fair with his pulling truck.

"I pulled, and I took first place," he said, pleased that he was able to get out and do something.

While in Pittsburgh he met a lot of nice people and has made some new friends.

He thanks everyone who helped him during this process, including his parents who have missed many days of work taking him to and from doctor's appointments and the hospital. He also appreciates the Morris Township Fire Co. and MVEMS for helping him out of his truck during the crash.

He also appreciates the fact that Karthaus Fire Co. and other surrounding companies are holding a benefit dinner for him since he doesn't have insurance, to try to help defray his mounting medical costs.

There will be a spaghetti dinner on Oct. 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Karthaus firehall. There will also be a 50/50 and a crazy auction as well, with the Lutheran Church in Karthaus planning to match every dollar raised.

He appreciates all the help he has gotten and is getting and the fact that everyone has been keeping an eye on him.

"I feel like a completely different person now," Mr. Maney said. "Plus, I'm living each day as if it's my last. I thought about what I went through, and I don't ever want to go through it again."