A local man and his much-loved old truck are both revved up to enjoy a second chance at life.
Two years ago, Maryan Hradowy fell down the stairs at his home and broke his neck. When doctors told him he would never again be able to walk — or drive or even sign his name — he was determined to prove them wrong.
Owen started to take the truck apart
To boost Maryan’s spirits, his son Kevin thought it might be a good idea to fix up his old truck that had been rotting away in the weeds. The 1976 Dodge half-ton had definitely seen better days.
Kevin’s son Owen had bought the truck off his grandpa for a $1.10 about eight years prior. Now 16, Owen was ready to jump on board with the fix-up project along with his siblings Bohdan, Breanna and Travis.
Together, Kevin and his kids embarked on a mission to restore the truck to driving condition. They decided to name the truck “Mean Green, Maryan Hradowy edition.”
Maryan had been an upholsterer by trade, so they knew the seat coverings couldn’t be overlooked and they took the seat to Ron’s Upholstery in Winnipeg to be redone. Adding a special touch, Breanna designed a Mean Green logo, which was embroidered on the like-new seat. They even added Maryan’s signature in embroidery, since he has taken great strides in recovery and is now able to sign his name again. In fact, Kevin says his dad has defied the odds and is now about 90 per cent recovered.
Since Bohdan and Owen are both apprenticing to become mechanics, the old truck offered an ideal opportunity for them to strip it apart, cut it up and weld it back together again. Looking ahead, Travis, a Red Seal woodworker, plans to add wood accents to the vehicle. The truck even includes a push bar on the front that Kevin and his cousin made about 45 years ago.
“It’s a family venture. It was pretty bare bones at first. It was so basic that it didn’t have a radio or power steering. It was two-wheel drive, six-cylinder, and it had the shifter in the column. We decided to put a four-wheel drive chassis under it, so now it’s got four-wheel drive, power steering and it’s automatic — but it still has the integrity of the original truck,” he said.
“It looks rough right now, but eventually it will be all pristine.”
As they worked on the project, they kept a goal in mind — to have the truck ready to drive in time for Bo’s grad in June. They achieved their goal, and it added to the excitement of the milestone moment.
“The first thing we did was take it to dad and let him get inside it. He took the boys for a ride in it,” he said. “And now I can drive down the road and feel like I’m back in 1980. It’s been good therapy for me.”
After driving Mean Green for the first time in decades, Maryan shared some poignant thoughts.
They said I would never walk or drive again. They said Mean Green would never be back on the road,” Maryan said. “Well, both of us have a second chance at life.’”
For Kevin, he wonders if the situation could serve as an inspiration to others looking to rebound from hardships.
“I thought that both the truck and my dad were written off. They both weren’t supposed to be around anymore,” he said. “The truck got a second life — and so did my dad.”
