POCATELLO — Daniel Wells at the age of 15 in 1986 was involved in a serious accident in Aberdeen that broke his neck. After extensive surgeries and rehabilitation, his doctors delivered a somber prognosis — he was a quadriplegic and would never walk again.
But that never stopped Wells, who defied his doctors and worked tirelessly to walk again.
"This sums up Danny perfectly, this situation, because doctors told him he couldn't walk again," said Jeff Sherwood, a longtime friend of Wells. "And he said, 'Yes, I will.' And he did. He learned to walk again."
Until his health significantly deteriorated earlier this year, Wells defied all expectations and led a remarkably full life. He pushed through chronic pain, accomplishing things that confounded everyone around him. For Wells, life would be on his terms — something he fought for until his passing in February.
Early on, Wells said he was constantly caught between two worlds — one of disability and another of not being considered disabled enough. The accident left his right hand paralyzed and caused his right leg to drag as he walked. His left hand functioned better, but still far from normally. His left leg also had limited mobility.
Never one to back down from a challenge, Wells decided at 19 that he wanted to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church told him he was not required to serve because of his disability, but Wells pushed back and was allowed to complete a full-time mission in Texas.
Upon his return, Wells worked at U.S. Bank in Blackfoot and in his early 20s bought a house on Pine Street in Pocatello.
Wells went on to attend Idaho State University, studying social work and criminology with the intent of working with at-risk youth. Powerful migraines stemming from his spinal injury, along with other medical challenges, prevented him from completing his degree — but he kept persevering.
"Today I drove past another one of those obvious blue handicapped parking spaces knowing I could park there, but I'm not going to," Wells said in a journal entry posted with his obituary. "Medically and physically, I qualify to park in those spots because of my spinal cord injury. Today, I look forward to the extra ten yards I get to walk without assistance to the mall entrance and I am grateful I have come this far."
It was around that time — 1996 — that Jeff Sherwood became acquainted with Wells. Sherwood had just left the military and was going through a difficult divorce. Wells owned a house and rented a room to him.
"I had nothing and I was in a very bad place because of all that," Sherwood said. "I remember Danny once telling me that you can't just hide in your room. Life happens. At some point you're going to need to get up and go to the bathroom. At some point you're going to be hungry and when you go out of the room to get those things, life is going to be there waiting for you. He basically told me that I needed to move forward one step at a time."
Those who knew Wells best shared a common observation — he didn't bring out the best or worst in people, he brought out the truest version of them.
"He was totally non-judgmental," Sherwood said. "He just wanted people to be true to themselves. Danny, a couple of years before I entered the picture, had met my now-wife Becky and introduced us. Becky's been in my life for the past 30 years — all thanks to Danny — and there are a few other people who can say the same thing. I know that he officiated a couple of people's marriages, one because he had introduced them and they were such good friends."
Wells was also a driven martial artist, earning yellow, orange and purple belts in Kenpo Karate in 1995. While working for Wealth of Health, he immersed himself in fitness supplements and was an active gym member.
Wells was always making an impact in the community — through his Channel 12 public access program dubbed "The Show," which drew attention for its unconventional content, and through two Pocatello City Council campaigns. In 2015, he received 1,951 votes to his opponent's 2,702. In 2017, he ran again, receiving 2,367 votes but losing by a wider margin.
Some even credit Wells with playing a role in saving vital public transportation in the Gate City. At a City Council meeting focused on PRT funding, it was Wells who suggested the agency begin selling advertising space on its buses — an idea that was soon implemented.
During the final months of his life, Wells maintained a defiant spirit. Friends including Sherwood said he always knew he was living on borrowed time, but that never stopped him from fighting for his autonomy, nor did it diminish his zeal for life.
The Sherwoods, in the obituary they wrote for him, captured that same spirit with characteristic wit — describing Wells as a disgruntled man who got his wish to speak to the big man upstairs, and noting he was "survived by his wheelchair, his standing frame, and a large pile of energy drinks." They predicted the stories and memories Wells left behind are "funny enough to make a tear run down your leg."
"For the past 40 years, since his accident, he knew that anything could cut his life short," Sherwood said. "He told me — 'I'm still here. I'm going to keep moving forward and doing things.' He wasn't interested in prolonging his life. His weightlifting, the martial arts, those are all things to help him with his mobility. I think of the Garth Brooks song 'Friends in Low Places.' That was Danny. He didn't rub elbows with a lot of big wigs. He didn't care for them. He wanted to hang out with the regular people on the street. He met a lot of them, and he impacted their lives one way or another. We wanted people to know that this was his life and give them a chance at a final goodbye."