The owner of a local tree care business in Roanoke, Virginia, who was severely injured on the job, is getting a little bit of help from some members of his community — including his competitors.
Thomas Craddock, the owner of MIB Tree Service in Roanoke, was severely injured when he was flung 40 feet into a tree’s base, WSLS reported.
Craddock has undergone three surgeries and will need to undergo extensive rehabilitation before he is able to walk again.
Craddock has tried to run his business from his hospital bed, but some members of the community were willing to pitch in to help.
Jimmy Flynn, the owner of Mission Mulch in Harrisonburg, volunteered to help as soon as he heard the news.
“It’s a very real risk when you do something in our line of work. The possibility is always there that you can get hurt,” Flynn said.
Flynn volunteered to do thousands of dollars of work for Craddock at no charge.
Even a rival tree service business in the area, Brown Hound Tree Service, decided to help Craddock out.
“It’s better to help people out than not,” Carrie Poff, owner of Brown Hound Tree Services, said. “While it can be cut-throat industry, tree care, we have found that it’s easier to scratch each other’s back.”
Poff started a GoFundMe page to assist with Craddock’s mounting medical bills. As of Saturday afternoon, the fundraiser has collected more than $3,200.