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Wayne Buzz Euber’s Motto Never Give Up

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Monday November 28, 2016

By Jill Charbonneau

Recently I had the good fortune of making the acquaintance Of Wayne "Buzz" Euber. Buzz is a moniker his father blessed him with when he was two years old and serves as a reminder of the timeless bond of father and son. As I walked through his door  I was instantly aware of the quiet strength of mind Buzz possesses. In a very matter of fact way he welcomed me, listened, and shared his remarkable story of a life filled with the opportunity to challenge oneself to enjoy the simple act of living when even that can be a challenge. Buzz espouses his kindness from an electric wheel chair. He has multiple sclerosis, MS, which he takes in stride. He attributes his uncanny ability to adjust to life with a parable from his childhood on the farm. He tells this story as though it is still unfolding around him. His father, a man short in stature, non athletic, gathered his family to help him corral an ornery bull in the meadow. It wasn't long before the bull lowered his head and took after Buzz's father with his long horns leading the charge. A frightened young Buzz admonished his father to "look out". His father faced the bull, a certain doom, literally grabbed him by the horns flipped him over gaining control while an older son threaded a rope through the bull's nose ring. Buzz had witnessed his father use his strength of mind to overcome a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, instantly becoming Buzz's hero.
It was a lesson in life that would become a way of life for Buzz.
   Buzz decided in high school to get started on his career in auto body repair before graduation. He not only excelled in his field he became a master. He has made a lifelong commitment of mastering that which he puts his mind on.  When the nagging symptoms of MS became apparent Wayne had a hunch he had brain cancer, which claimed his father, or MS. He preferred to battle MS over brain cancer. It turned out he had self diagnosed a daunting illness he would outwit with determination, in his own words " MS is the worst and best thing that ever happened to me at the same time". At one time hospitalized with paralysis he willed himself to stand and move around until he could walk. He found out he had to be his own hero, he was the only one that could lift himself out of this situation.
   When he finally got in front of a mirror he no longer recognized himself. He had lost fifty pounds, his hair was unkempt and he hadn't been shaved in a month. He reinvented himself, something else he has mastered, and kept a goatee as a reminder of his triumph.
    The nature of Buzz is to help others, as he puts it "I aspire to reinvent myself using my weakness as a form of strength to help others and ultimately myself." His illness was a career changer. He went back to school to resume his formal education, he became a substitute teacher, wrote grants for under-resourced people with disabilities, an organizer, a leader in the  advancement of the independent lives of disabled Vermonters, and people without a voice. He welcomes the daily challenges MS presents as an opportunity to overcome them. He has built supports for himself to help him get through the routine of the day from brushing his teeth, closing a door behind him, and getting in and out of bed. One of the things he built for himself was a table saw which he uses to handcraft support systems to transition himself throughout the day. Sometimes he designs his own accessories and other times he refines ready made accessories which he works on for months or years with the intent of sharing them with others. He has been instrumental in helping others obtain wheel chairs. He rebuilds them, buys parts, and finds the chairs a new home.
    I think the most remarkable thing about Buzz Euber is his demeanor. He is a man with determination and kindness written all over him. He understands the nature of the heart and the will of the mind to carry on the work of an indomitable spirit. He readily shares joy he finds in his life every day with those closest to him, those fortunate enough to have made his acquaintance.

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