The accident that changed his life forever

Paralyzed from the waist down 50 years ago, Bardwell chose to be a victor, not a victim

Hundreds of friends and well-wishers gathered at Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch last week to remember the anniversary that changed Bob Bardwell's life forever.

Bardwell, founder of Ironwood Springs, a home away from home for people with disabilities, spoke to a large audience on Sunday, July 16, recalling his heavy construction accident 50 years before, in July 1973. 

"We were doing landscaping for a new school," he said. "We were doing the dirt work when a cable broke…My coworker accidentally banged a lever, and dropped a 20-ton bucket down…"

In 2019, Bardwell published a book, 16,565 Extra Days and Counting, the Incredible Journey of Bob Bardwell. On the front cover of the book is a picture of the machine that fell on Bardwell, paralyzing him from the waist down...

For more on this story pick up your copy of the July 25 Stewartville STAR.

Reprising their singing from about 20 years ago, The Joyful Noise, including Bob Bardwell and his daughters, from left, Birdie, Lydia and Abby, with Hannah at the piano, perform at the 50-year anniversary event.