QA & with Trapper Searles

Q. Tell us about you and your business. Where did you originally come from and what made you decide to go into the garage business?

A. Hi, I’m Trapper. I live with my beautiful wife and amazing daughter. We also have 4 dogs who are a big part of our family! I’m originally from Casper Wyoming. Since I was 15 years old I was involved with the garage door industry. It started when I needed to get a job to start saving money for a car. I played baseball with the son of the owner of Overhead Door of Casper. He heard that I was looking for a job and offered me to work with him. I always dreamt of having my own business so when an opportunity presented itself to transfer to a larger company in Denver with the potential of growth, I immediately accepted it and moved to Colorado. My sister had already moved to Denver years before and I was looking to spend more time with family. After a short period of time at that company, I quickly realized it was evident there was a huge lack of customer appreciation. That’s when I embarked on becoming an entrepreneur and I started The Garage Doctor. The Garage Doctor was born on Spetember 1, 2005.

Q. What is your motto or philosophy?

A. My motto is “Equal Exchange of Energy is Key”

Q. What is your goal for the next year?

A. Over the next year my goal is to continue to empower all my employees and celebrate them even more.

Q. Why did you select Erie as the place to start your business years ago?

A. My family and I moved to Erie from Westminster in 2015 to gain a sense of community in our lives. We heard some incredible things about Erie and wanted to experince them first-hand.

Q. How do you give back to the community and non-profits?

A. My daughter has type 1 Diabetes. We support that cause as well as my wife being a survivor of a TBI (Tramatic Brain Injury). I’ve always been passionate about Children’s Hospital and donate through the business.

Q. Tell us about a challenge you had to overcome:

A. Back in the evening of April 16, 2022 my wife Sam suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm with subsequent subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding into the subarachnoid space which is the space between the brain and membranes that cover the brain). She was life flighted to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Colorado. This facility is a level one trauma center and comprehensive stroke center. Sam required emergent surgery to help try to control bleeding and decrease intracranial pressure in the evening of 4/16. She required an additional urgent surgery in the early morning hours of 4/17.

This was a difficult day to learn that Sam’s aneurysm was rare (Blister aneurysm), difficult to get to (Anterior Circulation Intracranial Aneurysm), and is also an odd shape. This means that Sam’s care required a multifaceted approach with multiple specialists including vascular and neurosurgery. Typically, aneurysms are treated with microsurgical clipping, endovascular coiling, or artery occlusion and bypass. In Sam’s case the odd shape and location of her aneurysm complicated the treatment plan.

She had a craniectomy (the removal of a portion of the skull in order to relieve pressure on the underlying brain) with clot evacuation. She was in the ICU for 76 days at Saint Anthony in Lakewood and 104 days at Craig Hospital in in patient care. If you’d like to read in more detail of her health journey, you can find it at samanthasearleshealth.com

Q. How did you remain hopeful about your wife’s health?

A. I knew I had to be her advocate. Each time I looked in my daughter, Jaiden’s eyes it made me realize I HAVE to be strong and NOT give up!

5 Possible Traumatic Brain Injury Warning Signs

1. headaches: extreme migranes that were not common for the individual

2. dizziness & confusion

3. memory challenges

4. unusual pain in the head

5. loss sense of self and others