Limitless Purpose: Sockie's Story

Sockie Phommachanh was only eight months old when his life changed forever. Sockie's family home caught fire on December 11, 1994, and he was severely burned from the flames. He was rushed to the hospital where he spent two months fighting for his life. At the time, no doctors in Fort Wayne could handle his facial burns, so he transferred to a Burn Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio. They were able to create a vinyl mask for his face, but the Burn Institute did not have the resources to provide local rehab therapy for Sockie. That's when they connected the Phommachanh's to Turnstone's therapy services.

At the time, Turnstone was the only facility willing to bring Sockie in and provide the specialized therapy treatment he would need.

"Sockie had only a 2% chance to live, was told he would never walk, talk, or be of any mental value. I needed Turnstone," said Sockie's mom, Neva. She brought Sockie to Turnstone where he received the necessary treatment and services to help him grow into the successful man that he is today.

At Turnstone, Sockie was surrounded by his family and a strong support system of staff. He dedicated his time to therapy at Turnstone for seven years, five days a week, and three and a half hours each day. He endured 25 different surgeries on top of the hours of therapy. He never let his medical situation stop him from accomplishing his goals. In fact, he used what he worked hard to learn at Turnstone to propel him.

Sockie defied the odds and became an amazing wrestler in middle school. He continued wrestling up until his sophomore year of college. He made Homecoming Court his freshman year of High School and went on to graduate college with a Bachelor's Degree in Health and Rehab Services.

Today, Sockie is a doctoral student in Huntington University's Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) program where he will graduate in the spring of 2025. He credits his Turnstone experience as the "why" behind his career path decision. He wants to positively affect others just as Turnstone positively affected him.

He currently volunteers as a camp counselor at Hoosier Burn Camp in Battle Ground, Indiana, and hopes to earn a spot in a prestigious Burn Fellowship Program upon graduation. He is also a regular Lap Club volunteer at Turnstone. Lap Club is a service provided by Turnstone in partnership with Huntington's OTD program to familiarize kids who have physical and intellectual disabilities with being in the water. Sockie has also returned to Turnstone with his OTD classmates where they were able to participate in an adaptive sports demonstration and tour the facilities.

Outside of his career aspirations, Sockie still manages to find time to feed his creative side. This year, with the stage lights shining bright at The Clyde Theatre, he was named the 2023 First Place winner at Turnstone's "Center Stage: Fort Wayne's Premier Talent Show" following an impressive breakdancing routine.

After his winning performance, Sockie said, "This is reassurance to me that it's important to hang on to being a kid, your creative side. And, an event like this is needed. It is an ongoing fight to change the perspective of the world. It's [Center Stage] a start to getting people to think more about inclusivity in all forms, with buildings, events, and experiences."

Returning to Turnstone as a former client who is now succeeding in his talents and pursuing a career where he will be able to help people with situations similar to his own has been a full-circle experience for Sockie.

"Turnstone's taught me what's difficult to learn - to be a good person, to be a good healthcare professional, and to embrace other people. Turnstone has just made a very monumental impact on my life," said Sockie.

Your donation this #GivingTuesday provides the resources needed for other people like Sockie to create their own transformational stories; allowing them to achieve their goals and soar to greater heights.