How often has a walk in the halls at Hayes brought you past the Main Office? The man who is one part of the “Marti and Mel Show” and who gave the graduation speech for the 2007 graduating class sits behind the desk almost everyday. For many years here at Hayes, Mel Treese has volunteered his time to help out the main office and the secretaries by answer phones, as a way to say thanks for the second chance that life has given him. Second chance?

On March 24, 1990 at 5:30 a.m, Mel was driving to work at the Flexible Bus Company, just like any other typical morning. As his trip brought him across the overpass on Rt.42 South, the road was covered in an invisible “black ice,” which caused Mel’s van to break free from the road and begin to slide out of control.

“I know that when your car, truck, or any vehicle begins to slide, you attempt to correct the problem by turning the wheel the same way as the slide,” stated Treese “and I did just that; however, once I thought I had regained control, the black ice was no longer there and my van’s wheels gripped the road again.”

When his van’s tires grabbed hold of the asphalt again, it had catastrophic results. The road rocketed Mel’s van in to the left side guardrail and down the steep embankment on the other side; after several flips and rolls, the end result was that Mel’s C4 and C5 vertebrae had been broken severely, leaving him permanently paralyzed from about his armpits down.

The accident was caused out of carelessness, in fact Mel was going the speed limit, and he was also wearing his seatbelt.

“The way I see it, you have two choices in life, deal with the problems you encounter, or complain and give up,” said Treese, “Dealing with my disability just seemed to be the much more intelligent idea. Still being able to live life is way better then the alternative.”

Going from being able-bodied to disabled has not changed who Mel is on the inside. He lives his life very similar to a person without a disability. He still drives, sleeps on a normal bed, does not have to eat special foods, and he can feed himself just fine. There are slight differences in the way he does those things, but in all reality he is just like everyone else.

“Mel is my brother and he seems to have a greater sense of humor and love for life ever since his accident. He has taught myself and our families a lot about how not to take things for granted and to love the life you have,” said Marti Lloyd, Main Office secretary at Hayes “I honestly don’t know what I would do without him.”

Mel not only volunteers his time here at Hayes, but he is also the President of Delaware Creative Housing. Mel has been married for 32 years to his wife Rita, and has had three children ages 38, 25, and 19. All these things hopefully show that Mel Treese is no different than anyone else. If that walk around the halls of Hayes brings you past the Main Office and Mel is sitting behind the desk, give him a wave. He will appreciate the gesture.