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Here to Help: Third-Generation Logger Finds Partner in Wisconsin DVR

FOREST COUNTY – Ask Steve Mihalko how he became a logger and his answer is straight to the point: "It's all I've ever known. Sawdust is in our blood."

But when the dangers of logging became a stark reality for Steve, the path to stay in the profession was hard to see.

"I know lots of other people who've been hurt in the woods, and I've seen a couple of people who've been paralyzed," said Steve. "None of them went back to work. You just find something else to do."

Steve is among the roughly 18,000 Wisconsin workers with disabilities receiving services from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) at any given time. DVR provides services ranging from training, internships, assistive technology, interviewing assistance, and on-the-job support across 38 locations statewide, and strives to help people like Steve find a job, keep a job, or get a better job.

Steve and his three brothers are the third generation of Mihalkos to fell and clear trees in the forests of northcentral Wisconsin. His grandparents, Charlie and Maude Mihalko, started logging together, eventually founding Charles Mihalko & Sons, which quickly grew. But on a wet September day in 2019, Steve's part of the family logging legacy nearly ended.

"It was supposed to rain all day," said Steve, who went to work every morning with his older brother, Barry. "We put our heads together and said, 'No, let's not go to the woods today.'"

Instead, the brothers worked to finish a roof to protect their fuel tanks during the cold months ahead.

"I had one foot on the fuel tank," Steve explains, "I was just reaching for the last piece of tin, and the railing gave way…I woke up a little while later with my brother over me holding my head and I could not feel my legs."

Steve had fallen backward and landed on his head, bruising his spine. After a week in intensive care, Steve was still unable to feel or move his legs, but he remained confident his paralysis was temporary.

"I just kept telling everybody I was going to walk out of there," he said, but despite efforts at rehabilitation in the hospital, his paralysis remained.

"The lady that runs the rehab came to me one day and said, 'That's not going to happen. I know you'd like it to happen, but you've bruised your spine pretty good.'"

But Steve had his mind set on getting back to work. He and his brothers devised a solution to get him back into his machine without use of his legs, engineering a system to hoist him from his wheelchair into the harvester.

He returned to logging 111 days after the accident.

Foot controls were re-routed to a joystick and others were modified to hand controllers. "It was definitely a learning process," he said. "But by the end of the day, I had a pretty good handle on it. I was just so happy to be back in the woods."

While Steve was back in familiar surroundings, questions remained about whether the modifications to his machine would be safe and reliable enough to keep him working for years to come. That's when his mother-in-law suggested he contact the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR).

"I'm the kind of guy who likes to do things on my own," Steve said of his decision to reach out. "But at some point, you've got to swallow your pride and ask for help."

After Steve applied and was found eligible for DVR services, staff from the Rhinelander DVR office worked with an assistive technology consultant to complete an onsite assessment of his operation and advise him on available options to help him perform his daily work.

Although Steve learned his current hoist system is "the best system that anybody can think of," the assessment found that an Outrider Coyote 4WD off-road powerchair could help him navigate wooded areas and allow him to evaluate timber as part of the project bidding process.

"The biggest thing is getting other people's point-of-view on some sort of way to help you at work," said Steve of his relationship with DVR. "We're learning from each other."

Steve hopes that sharing his story will inspire others to ask for help who are facing similar setbacks.

"That was my biggest problem through this whole thing: I wanted to do everything for myself."

"I sat in that hospital room for a month and never dreamed that I would be at this point again," he said with pride. "You've just got to make up your mind that you want to go back to work and just do it. Ask for help and do it."

DVR counselors are based throughout Wisconsin and travel to serve individuals in all parts of the state. Wisconsin residents with disabilities who would like to find a job, keep a job, or advance their career can get assistance by calling DVR toll free at 800-442-3477, emailing dvr@dwd.wisconsin.gov, or visiting DVR's website.

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ABOUT DWD

Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development efficiently delivers effective and inclusive services to meet Wisconsin's diverse workforce needs now and for the future. The department advocates for and invests in the protection and economic advancement of all Wisconsin workers, employers, and job seekers through six divisions – Employment and Training, Vocational Rehabilitation, Unemployment Insurance, Equal Rights, Worker's Compensation, and Administrative Services. To keep up with DWD announcements and information, sign up for news releases and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.