Extol Magazine Celebrating Southern Indiana is a local publication that covers stories about businesses people places or events throughout the cities of New Albany Jeffersonville Clarksville Sellersburg and Louisville KY
Issue link: https://extol.epubxp.com/i/475732
BY NOW, you've most likely heard the story of how Jefersonville Police Ofcer Justin Salisbury went above and beyond the call of duty to help Daniel White. It's a story we think is worth repeating, celebrating and updating with an ending no one else seems to have. In May 2012, White was assaulted while walking home. Te male assailant beat White so badly, his hearing aid was jolted out of his ear, never to be found again. Tat night. Salisbury was one of the ofcers who came to White's assistance. In late 2014, White's attacker was convicted. During the trial, Salisbury learned White, who is mostly deaf, had gone without his hearing aid since the assault and for two long years had been unable to get assistance to replace the much-needed device. Without the hearing aid, "it is horrible. I can't hear anything at all," White said. "One ear is completely deaf … and the other is afected by nerve damage," rendering him 93 percent deaf in his "working" ear. Once Salisbury understood the direness of White's situation, "(Justin) asked, 'Do you mind if I help you get one?' … And then everything completely exploded from there," White said with a wide smile while sitting at Orange Clover in Jefersonville. After researching the cost, Salisbury opened up a Go Fund Me account online with the hope of at least raising enough to buy White a "halfway decent" hearing aid. "I didn't have that kind of money laying hanging around," Salisbury said. "So, after I got of work one day, I just set (the Go Fund Me account) up and sat down and typed the story of 'Hearing Daniel White.' Within an hour it had, like, $700." As donations poured in from all over the country, Salisbury discovered White was a graduate of Jefersonville High and had completed one year at the University of Louisville. He'd lost a job he'd held for four years after being struck by a car and now lived with his mother, unable to receive disability income because he had partial hearing in one ear. When the fundraising eforts ended in November 2014, the online donations totaled $12,923 with another $590 given via cash and checks. Additionally, Conn Hearing of Jefersonville donated a new hearing aid. Dr. Sana Aburob of Gentle Dental Care in Shelbyville, Ky., donated her services to White, which was greatly needed. Hanes Auto of Jefersonville donated a moped. "Tis is the frst time I have ever really heard of a cop going above his duties," said White. "Justin actually stopped in and said, 'Let me see how I can help someone who was down on his luck.' I've gone from not being able to hear to being able to hear. Before I was walking everywhere. Now I am riding a moped everywhere." Although he still hopes to fnd employment, White said, "Life has gotten a whole lot better." It has for Salisbury, too. "I was in a position to help Daniel. … I just think more so he really helped me out. He helped me kind of get back on track career wise in this profession. DANIEL WHITE & JUSTIN SALISBURY C E L E B R A T I N G SOUTHERN INDIANA Photograph by Tony Bennett 40 EXTOL • 2|15