Paralyzed man urges lawmakers to make the Smokies more accessible

CAMPBELL COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT)-- Like fishing, change takes time.

"Life, I will admit, it is harder now,"

outdoorsman Robbey Massey said.

Massey and his dad always have spent time together outdoors.

"My dad has had me out in the woods for a long time,"

Massey said.

"I love it."

Spending time outdoors got a lot harder seven months ago. A hunting accident paralyzed Massey from the waist down.

"When we started to descend down a tree, that's when I just remember hitting the ground and being disoriented and not knowing what was going on and not being able to breathe good,"

Massey said.

It makes spending time doing what Massey loves in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park a lot harder.

"It's definitely a different ball game,"

Massey said.

"The miracle would be to make it as accessible as possible."

Massey can't drive a motorized vehicle in East Tennessee's national park or on the trails. Massey and his dad said they are trying to change that.

"My first emails when to the governor and to [Sen. Bob Corker],"

said Massey's dad, Rob.

Rob said he is asking lawmakers to consider allowing motorized vehicles in the parks. Some lawmakers already have responded.

"I appreciated the email that I got from [Sen.] Ken Yager,"

Rob said.

"He sent a very nice response, he seemed very interested; he was very sympathetic."

Rob sent messages to lawmakers, but also a message to God.

"We pray everyday that he can walk again and get his mobility back,"

Rob said.

"But until then, I want to make everything possible for him to be able to do everything he did before."

Like fishing, change takes time, but until they catch the right opportunity, Massey and his dad will be patient and faithful.

"With Christ all things are possible,"

Rob said.