Talk About Clyde: Doug Meyer is rebuilding his world through Legos
The current display of assembled Lego items by Doug Meyer at the Clyde Public Library represents his personal achievements following a life-altering auto accident.
Assembling Lego kits is much more than just a hobby for Meyer, 38. It is actually therapy because of a brain injury he suffered in an auto crash on Sept. 26, 2013. A paint specialist for PPG, Meyer was driving from Clyde to Marion on an extremely foggy morning when he was detoured to a side road off Marion Melmore Road near Bucyrus. Neither he nor the dump truck driver saw each other when the truck hit him, demolishing his car.
He was in critical condition with severe trauma to right front of brain and brain pressure; broken and fractured bones above and below his eye; broken nose; and right lobe injuries, which basically wiped out the short-term memory portion of his brain. Other injuries included three fractured ribs, collapsed lung and crushed spleen. He was in a coma for three weeks.
Doug Meyer spent weeks in the hospital after a major vehicle crash
He advanced from one medical facility to another for months before returning to the home of his parents, Karen and John Meyer, more than a year later, in December 2014. Outpatient physical and occupational therapy continued and Doug had improved as far as he could go, but he was having anger meltdowns more and more frequently.
Karen had noticed Legos on tables at the facilities to occupy people who were waiting. She bought a Lego kit for Doug to try. He loved it. "He has an engineering background with degree of mechanical engineering from the University of Toledo (2008)," his dad said. Doug liked to read instructions and follow directions. John calls Doug "the Lego engineer."
Since that first kit, Doug has assembled more than 500 kits, only 21 of which are displayed at the library during the month of February. Only easily transportable items are there, including buildings filled with detailed Lego furniture or people. There is a piano and typewriter with working keys. The piano has a battery-operated motor and plays 21 tunes with a phone app. Doug said they were among his most difficult projects.
He still has anger meltdowns when he gets frustrated. It has taught his parents patience and ways to manage the meltdowns, John said, noting that Doug has now learned to apologize afterward. He still has his sense of humor and can joke with his parents about his memory lapses. And he is most very proud of all his Lego projects.
The Meyers help their son excel through Lego projects
Doug can assemble small kits himself, provided the pieces aren't too small for his fingers. Karen sorts the pieces for him and sits beside him while he is working. Sometimes he gets ahead of himself and skips a step or two, which can cause a meltdown. Then Karen tells him to take a break and go play X-box, a computer game, with his dad till he calms down. If a section is too complicated or the pieces are too small for Doug to handle, Karen works on that step till it is manageable for Doug to finish. His largest project contained 4,002 pieces.
Karen loves reading and doing jigsaw puzzles. Doug helps her with puzzles by finding the edge pieces. John shops for Lego kits online and has more than a dozen kits on hand now, waiting on Doug.
With Doug's short term memory problems, he can remember everything that happened before his accident. "If he knew you before, he still knows you, but he can't remember what he had for breakfast, " John said.
There is one exception. He remembers working on every Lego project and its name. His completed projects have expanded to every room in their home and basement. He loves to show off his achievements and visitors are always welcome.
Doug plays golf and shot a hole in one in 2016. He also bowls and goes most everywhere with his dad and is friend to all.
Doug was asked to provide the display at the library by Angela Herrera, children's librarian, who attended Clyde St. Mary's School with him. The library also has a Lego Club, open to all ages, which meets at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month.
Jeanette Liebold Ricker writes about Clyde and Green Springs. Contact her at 419-547-8177 or by email at jeanette.ricker@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Talk About Clyde: Doug Meyer is rebuilding his world through Legos
