Farmer Undaunted

Jacob Wooley isn’t your average farmer. Injured in a tragic car accident in 2005, Jacob is paralyzed from the waist down.

He was hit in the driver’s side of his truck by a minivan that ran a stop sign going 60 mph. Jacob was not wearing a seatbelt as he drove just down the road on the way to his girlfriend’s house. He was thrown from his truck, landing in a ditch full of rocks. Doctors told him that he would never walk again.

After the accident, he was determined not to let his disability prohibit him from continuing what he loves. Jacob began by pulling himself up into his combine by a rope to get back working on his 400 plus acre farm that he began when he was 19. He called the University of Kentucky after he realized he needed a better way to get into his tractor. Today, Jacob has a custom designed and installed lift on his combine and tractor that UK independently funded and built for him.

Jacob’s attitude since the accident has been admired by many in the community.

His friends and family say he has more determination than anyone they have ever met.

In December 2007, Jacob had the opportunity to particapate in experimental surgery in Costa Rica. Jacob was given several test injections and has since gained the ability to move his toes and sometimes his legs. He is determined to walk again one day.

Jacob’s daily activities consist of farming and spending time with his dad. Most days, a combination takes place, and Jacob and his dad, Larry, spend the mornings getting the combine ready for the day’s work. Jacob’s dad often naps in a shady spot while he shells soybeans on the farm. Jacob is 30 years old and lives in Melber, Ky.

Determined to Farm – Images by Daniel Houghton