AUBURN - Steven Hazzard was driving home Dec. 29 to Plymouth to have dinner with his family when he lost consciousness.

Hitting the edge of the ditch, his dark blue Dodge Neon flew through the adjacent field, slicing a pine tree in half and tumbling end over end until it crashed to a halt. Hazzard, 48, was ejected from the car and landed 75 feet away, his face smashed, his body paralyzed from the neck down, and his life instantly changed forever.

Five surgeries, 44 days of intensive care and six weeks of rehabilitation later, the Weedsport native joined friends, family and supporters Saturday for a benefit to celebrate his recovery and to raise money for his ongoing care. With about 100 people crowding the floor of Suzy's Tavern on Genesee Street in Auburn, the atmosphere was pure love.

The smell of baked ziti and meatballs greeted incomers at the door. Friends exchanged hugs and caught up over bottles of beer. A trio of little boys sat cross-legged on barstools playing handheld video games. D.J. Barry Brown announced the winners of the donated door prizes, including a 10-piece knife set, a book of photography by John Francis McCarthy called “The Fingerlakes,” and a blood pressure cuff from Welch Allyn.

Seated in his wheelchair with his wife, Kim, by his side, Hazzard's big brown eyes filled with emotion as he scanned the room.

“It's overwhelming,” he said softly through the pink tracheotomy taped to his neck. “I wish I could thank everyone personally.”

Before his accident, Hazzard fixed diesel engines and installed lighting for Phoenix Fixtures. When he wasn't working, his family says, he was always busy helping someone in need, or spending time outdoors, fishing, deer hunting or camping at Gilbert Lake.

Adjusting to his paralysis has not been easy - financially or emotionally.

His wife had to leave her job as a nurse's aide to provide him with the around-the-clock care he needs.

The added costs of building an extra bedroom and a wheelchair ramp have also put a strain on the family's budget.

And his mother, Beatrice, still has trouble talking about the night that left her once outdoorsy son a quadriplegic.

“I hurt for him,” she said, wringing her hands, her soft cheeks flushing. “If I could take his place, I would.”

It is the overwhelming love and support from his family that Hazzard says has helped keep him going.

“If it wasn't for my family, I don't know where I would be,” he said.

How to help

Contributions may be sent to: Steven Hazzard Recovery Fund, c/o P.O. Box 472, Weedsport, NY 13166. For more information, please call his parents, Beatrice or Clinton Hazzard, at (315) 834-9562.