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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate NEWS NOW Trail camera spots two pups born to Rogue pack this spring ... Ashland Calendar, Thursday, Aug. 6 ... Our View: Watershed perspective ... Trail camera spots two pups born to Rogue pack this spring ... Ashland Calendar, Thursday, Aug. 6 ... Our View: Watershed perspective ... An amputee who walked from east to west will set out on another cross-country walk Comment By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Jun. 11, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Jun 11, 2015 at 11:03 AM By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Jun. 11, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Jun 11, 2015 at 11:03 AM » Social News On July 21, 2011, Judah Burgess was driving a tractor down a steep slope in Pennsylvania, near his family’s home, when he blacked out from the heat. He woke up in the hospital with a severed left leg and has learned to live with the disability, in large part by walking across the United States to Ashland, a place he is considering making his home — and his future as a writer.  The accident brought a huge change in the direction of his life, says Burgess, 22, starting with the realization that his overcrowded family could not take care of him and, whatever his new life was to be, he would have to create it himself.  He’d heard about Ashland, a creative and generous place, and set it as his destination. In early 2014, he set out walking on crutches and, accepting the gifts of strangers for food, lodging and bus fare, arriving in Portland and getting a $30,000 prosthetic leg via Oregon Health Plan.  Burgess walked county roads and back highways, returned home to family and friends in Pittsburg, then back to Oregon, a total of 5,000 miles, about half of it walking and half hitchhiking, he says.  “My family was nervous about my life and more scared than I was about losing a leg … We don’t have a lot of money and it’s a big family,” he says. “It was a lot of strain on my family. It was just time to go.”  On Wednesday, Burgess was headed up I-5 to Portland, while noting that Ashland is appealing and he’d like to attend Southern Oregon University and move toward his dream of being a writer, especially in poetry and short stories. He’ll be back here for a June 23 appointment, then plans to walk and hitchhike to visit family back East.  “I want a community where people accept strangers and don’t turn their heads away from those who are different,” says Burgess. Ashland, he adds, seems to fit that bill.  He carries a cheap Verizon cell phone and tries to do his writing on it, but it’s a slow and frustrating process, says Burgess, noting it would be nice to have an iPad to blog his thoughts and words.  SOU journalism teacher Julie Akins, a friend of his, said she was drawn by his peaceful expression as he walked around campus, with a steel leg and smile of hope on his face.  “When Judah lost his leg … he had no idea what the rest of his life would look like. Without enough work history to collect disability and not wanting to be a burden to his family, he knew he had to figure something out,” said Akins in an email. “So, after a long and painful recovery he learned how to walk on a prosthetic and kept walking. It began as a journey of self-discovery and later became a walk of inspiration. Judah walked from east to west and now he's going back again …  “Carrying a 30-pound pack and using a walking stick he made along the way, he hopes to inspire anyone who feels they can't do something. Judah is determined but it won't be easy. His prosthetic is worn out. It no longer fits him correctly and causes pain. He is hoping to find medical help to keep going but either way he plans to continue." Asked how much money he has, Burgess, in an interview in Lithia Park Wednesday, showed three pennies and two books, the ancient Tao te Ching and “Rasta Heart.” His path has led him, he notes, to being a Rasta, with emphasis on living a natural, organic lifestyle of fruits and vegetables and no alcohol, drugs or smoking.  He says the tragic accident at 18 has taught him “not to be so vain, to see life as impermanent and so fragile. My dream is to inspire people to do what they can in life and not let anyone hold them back.”  He’s started a gofundme page, seeking $100,000 for a new Genium electronic leg such as are issued to wounded military personnel. It’s waterproof, he notes, and monitors and assists your movements.  “This leg (Ottobock 3RSO) gets uncomfortable when I’m active. It’s painful and rubs on the bone socket. The new one wouldn’t do that.”  His Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/TumpaFootDread/timeline, links to the crowdfunding site, which notes, “I'm traveling across the nation with a prosthetic leg to show the people I meet that anything is possible in life. To prove that nothing has to hold you back whether you have a disability or not. I dream to bring hope and share love with everybody along my journey. But I could use your help, my current prosthetic is wearing out. It brings me pain and scaring because it does not fit or function well. Help me finish my journey by donating to this fund so that I may be fitted with a new leg . Together we can prove the theory that through love, great things can happen.” For those wishing to help, Akin can be reached at 541-973-4463. John Darling is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected]. By John Darling For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Tidings Posted Jun. 11, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Jun 11, 2015 at 11:03 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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