Somerset County native and his ‘army’ raise awareness of spinal injuries

If you are a regular New Jersey 101.5 listener, you have heard the story of Mikey Nichols, the Monroe hockey player who suffered a spinal cord injury in a game and has been rehabilitating ever since. Recently, Mikey's journey inspired one of our listeners to tell us about her brother, who is trying to educate people in New Jersey and beyond about these types of injuries.

Quaid Mobus, originally from Warren, was hurt the night before his sister's wedding in Pennsylvania, a little over two years ago.

"I was riding a quad, and I flipped it and I broke my neck," Mobus said. "It was a C5 injury."

Mobus received treatment right away and was ultimately hospitalized for about a month before beginning a lengthy rehab stint at Kessler Institute. He described some of the symptoms that are typical of such an injury.

"You have sensation from pretty much your chest down," he said. "You know, you're lucky enough to have your arms, but your fingers, you don't have. They're all limp."

As his rehab continued and Mobus began to show improvement, he thought about how little he'd previously known about spinal cord injuries, and how others might be able to benefit from the knowledge he'd gained.

"Before my injury, I had no idea, basically, of what a spinal cord injury was or what would happen," Mobus said. "It was very foreign to me before the accident."

The way in which Mobus started spreading the word came spontaneously, when an acquaintance picked up a childhood favorite: some miniature green army men.

"He was actually just playing with a couple of these toy army guys, and my aunt was like, 'Oh, I remember when my nephew used to play with these all the time,'" Mobus said.

And that is where the idea for the Army of Green Men came from.

The idea is simple. Supporters who want to know more about Quaid, his injury, and injuries like his, receive a pack of the little green men through armyofgreenmen.com. Recipients can then take pictures of the toys and share them on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #QuaidsArmy. Each share and comment brings in a fraction of a penny, which Mobus hopes will tally enough for him to spread his message across the globe.

It's working so far, and he never ceases to be fascinated by the process.

"Just where the little army men go -- I mean, they've been around the world," Mobus said. "Matter of fact, they've been in outer space."

Mobus and his organization have also organized various charity events, including motorcycle runs, 5Ks, pancake breakfasts and silent auctions.

As for his recovery, Mobus said he has had no major setbacks. His strength is improving in his core and in his back, but he still must attend physical therapy twice a week. It's a long road, but he has an army behind him.

Patrick Lavery is New Jersey 101.5's evening news anchor. Follow him on Twitter @plavery1015, email patrick.lavery@townsquaremedia.com, and listen for his live reports Monday through Thursday nights between 6:30 and 11 p.m.