Car wreck took his leg. Nonprofit backed by KC event helped get back his life
Steps of Faith Foundation CEO Billy Brimblecom Jr. doesn’t get to meet every person his organization helps or even hear their stories. But he got to share a recent beneficiary with a sold-out Uptown Theater.
Brimblecom introduced the Thundergong! crowd to Josh Barry, a Nashville native who wears many hats. Barry works on film and television sets, helps his wife at their restaurant and performs as a musician.
Barry’s life changed dramatically on May 10, when a car switched lanes and hit him while he was riding his motorcycle. In a video played at Thundergong!, the celebrity charity event supporting Steps of Faith, Barry said he lost his leg immediately in the accident.
After five surgeries to complete the amputation and fix over 15 broken bones as a result of the accident, Barry and his wife, Sidney Sockman, found themselves with over a million dollars in medical debt.
With the organization’s Nashville origins, Barry’s prosthetist referred him to Steps of Faith, and he was later equipped with a properly fitted leg. Not long after that, he was back in the CrossFit gym working out.
“Being able to stand up and walk around again and make my own food just felt like I got my independence back,” Barry said in the video.
The stage was his for a moment Saturday, where he contributed to the karaoke atmosphere. He performed a cover of The Avett Brothers’ “Murder in the City,” and was later fighting back tears as he reflected on that fact that Monday, Nov. 10, marks six months since he lost his leg.
“Since then, I’ve had a lot of clarity on what’s important, and two things really stand out: community and gratitude,” Barry said at Thundergong! “I’m unbelievably grateful for every moment that I get to spend here with you guys and every moment with my wife.”
“We’re so thankful to be a part of the Steps of Faith and a part of your community,” Sockman said. “Six months ago, our lives changed, and it’s changed in so many ways for the better because of how much love we’ve felt and how much we’ve learned from this.
“Love your people, support your people, check on your people and give back as much as you can.”
Since opening in 2013, Steps of Faith has helped over 2,000 people who don’t have health insurance receive prosthetic limbs, helping people return to as normal of a life as they can.
The number will certainly rise after raising $1.1 million during the event.
