|
HERE'S
A GUY JUST
MADE FOR RADIO
By
Joyce Trepus
portrait
Willy
Thornbrue is a good looking "begrudgingly single"
25-year-old board operator at Oregon Public Broadcasting's
Golden Hours radio studio. He lives in Beaverton and often
rides Tri-Met to OPB. One of his favorite sayings is "only
in America."
He
smiles a lot, and his laughter is contagious as he jokes with
the other volunteers at the station. Since 1998, Thornbrue
has given more than 4,000 hours of his time maintaining the
signal and operating the control board. He makes sure the
programming stays on schedule and the "dead air"
is minimal. Golden Hours is a 24-7 SAP (secondary audio programming)
station for the blind, elderly, homebound and anyone else
who enjoys great radio programs.
Being
a right-hand man for Jerry Delaunay, program director, and
John Stiers, technical director, has its perks. Iris, Delaunay's
guide dog, and Primo, Stiers' guide dog, rally round Thornbrue's
electric wheelchair vying to see who will get petted and praised
first.
In
spite of his physical challenges with cerebral palsy and being
legally blind, Thornbrue is deeply grateful to live in America
"If
I had been born in another country, I probably would have
been put in an institution and forgotten. In this country
I have been afforded a place to live, I have my needs met,
and I've been given the opportunity to continue growing and
learning, regardless of my physical condition," he said.
While
attending Aloha High School, he took advantage of the work
experience program. Because he has been interested in broadcasting
since childhood, he chose OPB as his training ground.
"Only
in America can somebody come off the street, learn how to
be a broadcaster and be free to broadcast the printed word
as it is written without being censored," he said with
a look of pride on his face. "I'm really proud of the
music program I created with my best friend, Ron Shapland.
We are two wheelchair disc jockeys, and our program, "A
Little Bit of Country and a Little Bit of Rock and Roll,"
is part of the OmniMediaNetworks.org.
"Ron
and I also created the 'Lion's Den,' a sports show, which
airs every Thursday evening from 8 to 9 p.m. A few weeks ago
Ron was sick with what most would call walking pneumonia,
but since he can't walk either, we said he had rolling pneumonia,"
Thornbrue said with a big grin
"A
few of the other things I enjoy as an American are the lifts
and special seating area on Tri-Met. I maneuver my wheelchair
onto the ramp, it lifts me up, and they tie my chair down
for the ride.
"Through
my broadcasting training and experience, I get to share information,
which can go worldwide on the Internet. I'm so grateful to
be able to live an active, productive life," he added.
"I've
always known I live in the greatest country in the world.
Isn't that obvious?" he asked, flashing another big grin.
"Another
great thing about this country is our ability to bounce back,
whether from a natural or manmade disaster. I like the way
we gather around and lift each other's spirits. I've always
been amazed at the giving spirit of Americans, and one of
my most treasured freedoms is the right to worship without
persecution."
Being
legally blind slows down his learning process, but he has
been blessed with people who read to him and type for him.
He gives a lot of credit to his mom who, he said, "was
quite possibly the best person I've known." He has learned
a great deal from his parents and grandparents and hopes to
be as good a man as his dad some day.
Thornbrue's
advice is to focus on the goals you want to achieve and don't
stop until you reach them. He said that is what he repeats
over and over to himself every day so he doesn't give up.
His goal now is to use his wide range of abilities in the
field of broadcasting to get a job that pays him enough so
he can be independent and take care of his needs.
|