SUNDAY STANDARD PRESS
Southern Lakes Alive! : February, 2000
Dream the Impossible Dream
What happened to Bill Ester, Burlington, on May 28, 1994, changed his life forever.
On that warm day, Ester had his windows rolled down as he was driving his 18-wheeler for a weekend job. The semi was loaded with 8,500 gallons of gasoline ready for delivery to Milwaukee service stations.
He took an exit off of Good Hope Road, as he had routinely done on many weekends before.
Before he had time to react to something he felt was going terribly awry, his entire 80,000-pound rig tilted to the left and crashed to the pavement.
His cargo of gasoline started on fire, leaving Ester trapped in his cab. Before he knew it, his whole body was engulfed in flames.
At that point, Ester somehow managed to jump out of the truck and roll around on some grass along the roadside.
After receiving some help from bystanders, Ester was rushed to St. Mary's Regional Burn Center in Milwaukee.
It was there that he was told about his burns, which affected 60 percent of his body.
Now, four years later, when Ester, 47, spoke of the tragic accident, he said, "I only knew I was supposed to play piano at my church the next day. I just wanted to be bandaged and released."
When his parents learned of Ester's misfortune, the first thing they did was search through 40 years of old photographs for one in particular.
The photograph Ester referred to captured his triumph of climbing Mount Rainier in Washington when he was 18.
"They found a negative of a picture that was very important to me," Ester said. "Within a few hours, they had come to see me; they didn't recognize me. They showed me the picture. I know I was drugged up, but I remember the moment, and I vowed I would climb that mountain again."
His parents also chose a powerful, inspirational Bible verse from Psalm 121 carefully placed alongside of the picture that read, "I will lift mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help."
This inscription reinforced Ester's believe even more that he again would stand on the top of Mount Rainier.
"I lived and breathed that picture," Ester said.
Through numerous treatments and surgeries, Dr. Gerald Govin from St. Mary's Regional Burn Center and his staff stood by Ester's side.
"When Bill first told me he was going to climb that mountain again I thought he was way out there, but I didn't discourage him, "Govin said. "Our medical team concentrated on saving his life, first and foremost, and saving his vision, face, hands so he'd remain functional."
For two years, Ester struggled with exhausting physical and occupational therapy sessions.
"I went for five hours a day for five days a week," Ester said. "There was one point in my life when I was ready to give up. I couldn't think of one reason to live. It wasn't until I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and I thought, 'Bill, get your act together. You're alive. You made it.'
"It was at that point, I went down to my computer and printed out a whole bunch of signs with positive messages and reminders on them. I taped them all over the house. When Nancy (his wife) got home from work, she thought I had lost it," Ester said.
Ester acknowledged two real focused ambitions in his life that have helped him arrive at who he is today.
"My biggest goal I set for myself was to climb that mountain again and the other one was music," Ester explained. "Playing the piano has always been a great love of mine."
Ester continued with his therapeutic treatments at Southern Lakes Therapeutics, which no longer exists, in Burlington.
"When Tracy Short wrote a column in your paper about the demise of the Southern Lakes Therapeutics building, I sympathized with her," Ester said. "She spend a lot of time working there, and for me, I changed my life there."
Ester worked his long days with physical therapist and a certified-hand therapist Julie Scurek, who is now a rehabilitation director for Progressive Step Rehab in Delavan.
Ester described her as a God-send within walking distance.
"Bill exceeded my expectations, "Scurek said. "He never gave up and is definitely a fighter."
And a fighter he is. After receiving permission from Govin to fulfill his goal of climbing Mount Rainier for the second time, Ester and his son, Paul, set out for the challenge in the spring of 1996, just two years after his accident.
When Ester made it to the top, he had a cellular phone in hand. He called Govin and his family.
"In my career, I've met a lot of patients," Govin said. "Bill is certainly compassionate and a fine example for all of us who deal with obstacles. It's amazing what he's done with the support of a good wife, family and team of doctors.
"He has courage, strength, strong faith in God and faith in himself," Govin added. "He's become a very dear friend to me."
Govin expects to get a call from Ester again this year when Ester and his daughter, Carolyn, will make the conquest for Ester's third time this July.
"Carolyn was pretty young in 1996," Ester, a father of three, said. "She really wanted to go because she knew how important it was to me to climb again, but you have to be 16 in order to try it. I made a promise to her that we would do it when she turned 16, and that's exactly what we have planned for this summer."
From that 1996 adventure, Ester has a photograph of himself with a mirrored pose of his earlier expedition at the age of 18, atop of Mount Rainier once again. It's a treasured symbol Ester holds dear to his heart.
Around Christmas, Ester was given a framed picture of a mountain as a gift from Govin.
"I thought it was a pretty view of the mountain from the base. The picture depicts a reflection of the mountain in a pool of water," Govin said. "I wanted Bill to know that sometimes it's good to reflect on things. I have one in my office as well as a reminder of Bill's courage."
Ester was very touched by the gesture and has the artwork hanging in his living room.
"I can't tell you how much that meant to me," Ester said with tears in his eyes.
From his experiences, Ester has brought others hope and encouragement.
He is currently trying to establish himself as a motivational speaker, telling his story to others needing inspiration and direction.
"In 1994 I was approached by a primary care nurse about starting a burn support group," Ester explained. "There were initially only four of us, but there was one individual who had been burned 10 years earlier.
"This was a guy I could look at and ask, 'Does the pain ever go away?' and he said, 'Yes, it does eventually,'" Ester said. "That's what I needed to hear. Then, I really knew I could do anything."
The Milwaukee Area Burn Support Group still meets to this day at St. Mary's.
"One thing led to another and I realized I had the ability and sensitivity to help people. Eventually, I would like to talk to people on a national and international basis," Ester said. "The reason why I'm doing what I am doing now is to help people keep dreaming their dreams."
Ester dreamed the impossible dream. When he graduated from high school, he played that tune on the piano. And due to his inner strength, dedication and motivation, he can still play it today.
