Revving Up Life Again: How Digital Access is Fueling Dale Youngblood’s Passion After Health Setbacks

By Hugh Willett

Dale Youngblood worked on automobiles, air conditioners and other mechanical things for most of his life. 

He says he can fix just about anything.

“When I worked at a machine shop in Rockwood years ago my boss taught me that anything that can be made by a man can be repaired by a man,” he said.

For almost fifty years Youngblood’s passion was restoring and rebuilding cars and trucks. He and his brother completed several projects while he was still able to get around.

“My last project was a four wheel drive Chevy Tahoe. I built it up from the ground up,” he said.

These days, the 63 year old Harriman resident doesn’t get out of his house much due to health issues.

Complications from diabetes resulted in both of his legs being amputated below the knees. A series of strokes and a heart condition have further limited his activities.

Until recently, Youngblood has been isolated in his small rural mobile home, sometimes cut off from friends, family and his hobbies.

“My friends and family don’t like me being alone, but I’ve learned to do all right by myself,” he said.

Dayle Beyer, executive director of ROANEnet, a Harriman, TN-based 501c(3) non-profit dedicated to supporting digital inclusion, heard about Youngblood’s situation.

ROANEnet is charted to help those people with specific challenges including those who are elderly, have disabilities, low income, and who live in digitally underserved rural areas. The organization collects donated computers and refurbishes them to give them to those in need. Other services include training and helping those in need of internet access. 

“When I first met him he didn’t have internet access and he could get only three television channels on the antenna mounted outside his window,” she said.

ROANEnet provided Youngblood with a personal computer and worked with local internet provider AT&T to secure low cost broadband, including Roku technology that brings access to hundreds of free news and entertainment channels.

“We also looked at his phone bill. He was paying way too much for services he didn’t use. We got his bill down to $20 per month,” Beyer said.

ROANEnet also provides digital training. Youngblood had been exposed to computerized parts inventory while working at an appliance distributor but he didn’t have a lot of experience on the internet.

Thanks to the help provided by ROANEnet and its volunteers he is now fully connected to the digital world, capable of communicating with doctors, family and friends.

Perhaps just as importantly, he is now able to once again indulge his passion for automobiles through his collection of scale model diecast cars. 

“I’ve been collecting them for 30 years,” he said.

He uses his computer to buy, sell and trade the model cars with other collectors across the internet. Recently he has been building dioramas that showcase cars in miniature settings such as gas stations or garages.

He said his quality of life has been greatly improved through access to the digital world.

“If I want to look up something or see what’s new in the world I’ll just get on the computer,” he said.