A Day In My Life: Will Fargas

NSM client Will Fargas takes us along for the day as he heads to work in Manhattan

For Will Fargas, most days start pretty early. 

Fargas, who works as a scheduler for outpatient therapy services at NYU Langone in Manhattan, works in the office three days a week, which means waking up around 4:30 or 5 a.m.

“I usually get up pretty early,” Fargas says, “and my aide helps me get ready for work in the morning.” 

By 6:30 a.m., Fargas is usually ready and waiting for his transportation to work. Most of the time, Fargas says he schedules a ride with Access-A-Ride in New York City, but there are times when it isn’t available. That means finding other ways to get to work, such as public transportation, which significantly lengthens Fargas’ 30-minute commute. 

This type of planning and troubleshooting is a big part of Fargas’ life, one he says people who don’t use complex rehabilitation technology (CRT) equipment or don’t know someone who does may not realize. 

“What time I get up depends on if I have a new person working with me or a veteran,” he says. “I always say that getting ready for work is my part-time job because I have to get up so early to get ready and get there. My shift doesn’t start until 9 a.m., but I’m usually up four to five hours before then.” 

Fargas works eight-hour shifts, whether he’s at home or at work, and usually orders something for lunch when he’s in the office. When he does leave the office for lunch, it takes planning and forethought—and time. Running out for a “quick” lunch or grabbing dinner after work aren’t always easy, when you’re juggling transportation and commutes. 

“With Access-A-Ride, it can take up to two hours on the average,” Fargas says. “If I’m home by 7 p.m., it’s planning what I’m going to eat—and if I have to prep or order food that takes more time. A lot of the time, I find myself eating something light for dinner, like a smoothie, especially if I get home late.” 

Fargas hopes that by giving the world a glimpse of his daily life—and all the planning and forethought that goes into it—helps start a deeper conversation. 

“I hope sharing a day in my life helps start the conversation about the importance of CRT,” he says. “I hope this is a beginning—seeing what someone goes through in one day.”