• Choosing Resilience – How Joe shifted his mindset from searching for answers to embracing life.
• Overcoming Everyday Challenges – Adapting to life with one functional arm at work and home.
• Hiking Against the Odds – Climbing 4,000-foot mountains with a disability.
• Adaptive Technology & Independence – How Joe drives and stays self-sufficient.
• Inspiring Others – Advice for those facing adversity and the power of perseverance.

Host: Welcome to In The Loop, a New England Temperature Solutions podcast.

In today’s episode, we’re stepping away from our usual shop talk to hear a story of hope and perseverance. Our guest is a longstanding business partner and friend, Joe Pinsonneault. Without further ado, here’s Dominick DeLuca and Joe, helping you get In The Loop.

Interview Begins

Dominick DeLuca: Hi, everybody. Today, we have our friend Joe Pinsonneault joining us.

Joe was on the podcast a couple of months ago talking about vacuum furnaces. But today, we’re shifting gears.

Last time Joe was here, he made a passing comment on his way out—something that really stuck with me. He said he had made a choice: life over death. He chose to live rather than let his medical condition define him. And I thought, what an amazing perspective. It’s an attitude that’s worth sharing, and I believe it could inspire a lot of people.

So today, we’re going to hear Joe’s story—his medical journey, his decision to embrace life, and what that has looked like for him. Joe, tell us a little bit about what happened to you.

Joe’s Story

Joe Pinsonneault: Well, I woke up one morning, and my right arm was completely non-functional. It was just hanging there by my side. I couldn’t move it at all, except to lift it with my other hand.

Dominick: Had anything happened leading up to that? Any signs the day before?

Joe: Looking back, I can recall some warning signs. I remember struggling to open bottles of water, and my hand would shake while eating. But at the time, I didn’t think much of it.

When I woke up that morning and my arm wasn’t working, I assumed I had just slept on it wrong and pinched a nerve. So, I got ready and went to work.

Meanwhile, my wife at the time had called the doctor, and they wanted to see me right away. As soon as they saw me, they suspected I’d had a stroke and sent me straight to the hospital.

Over the next few days, my condition worsened. Eventually, doctors determined that a virus had attacked my spinal cord, paralyzing my arm. As the days passed, it spread to my left shoulder and diaphragm, affecting my breathing. I ended up on a respirator.

Dominick: That must have been terrifying.

Joe: Yeah, but at the time, I was on a lot of medications, including morphine, so I wasn’t fully processing everything.

The Road to Recovery

Dominick: What year was this?

Joe: 1997.

Dominick: And how long were you in rehab?

Joe: Over a year. It wasn’t full-time, but I went through extensive therapy. I had to relearn how to do almost everything. Once doctors realized that my arm wasn’t going to recover, it became about adaptation—figuring out how to live with one functional arm.

Returning to Work

Dominick: You were working at MRF at the time, right? How long before you went back?

Joe: I was hospitalized in September, discharged in November, and by Thanksgiving, I was back at work part-time.

Dominick: Did you know at that point that your arm wasn’t coming back?

Joe: Not fully. Doctors initially thought I had a condition called atypical Guillain-Barré syndrome, where most people recover. But over time, it became clear that wasn’t happening. The only thing that improved was my breathing.

Dominick: So now you had to do everything with your left hand. How did that impact your work?

Joe: MRF was incredibly supportive. They made whatever accommodations I needed, which was huge.

As an engineer, you learn to problem-solve, and that’s exactly what I did. Simple things—like opening a loaf of bread—became puzzles to solve. I had to rethink everything, from writing to typing to driving.

Choosing Life

Dominick: What really struck me was your comment: You chose to live. What did that decision look like?

Joe: I spent a long time searching for answers—trying to understand why this happened, if anything could be done. It consumed me. And then one day, I just said, Enough.

I could either dwell on it forever or move forward. So, I chose to move forward.

Dominick: Was there a defining moment when that decision clicked?

Joe: It was a gradual process—over a year. Eventually, I just stopped putting energy into questioning why and started focusing on how to live with it.

Adapting & Thriving

Dominick: You’ve done some amazing things since then. I saw a picture of you on top of a mountain! How did you get back into hiking?

Joe: I had hiked all my life, but after my injury, I took a break. Then I started watching a show called Windows to the Wild with Willem Lange—an older gentleman hiking all over New Hampshire. That inspired me. So, my son and I started hiking again.

To date, I’ve climbed 39 of the 4,000-footers in New Hampshire.

Dominick: That’s incredible. What else do you do?

Joe: Brewing beer. I’ve been doing it for years. I started simple, but over time, I refined my process.

Dominick: That’s awesome! Next time, you’ll have to bring some for a taste test.

Driving Again

Dominick: You mentioned earlier that driving was a big hurdle. How did you solve that?

Joe: My car is modified with adaptive equipment. I use a spinner knob on the steering wheel, which has built-in buttons for turn signals, wipers, and more. My vehicle’s steering is also adjusted to require less force.

Getting the modifications wasn’t easy—there was an extensive evaluation process—but it gave me back my independence.

[Final Thoughts]

Dominick: If someone watching this is struggling—at a crossroads between giving up or pushing forward—what would you say to them?

Joe: Don’t be discouraged. There are incredible resources and technologies available today that can help you adapt.

More importantly, you have a purpose. Even if it’s just to inspire others, that’s enough.

Dominick: That’s such a powerful message.

Joe, thank you for sharing your story. Your resilience is truly inspiring, and I have no doubt it will help and motivate a lot of people.

Host: Thank you for getting In The Loop with us.

If you need assistance with anything in the thermal process industry, reach out to us at 808-48-NETS (808-486-387) or visit www.nets-inc.com.

If there are topics you’d like us to cover, send us an email to marketing@nets-inc.com. Have an awesome day—every day.

Stay Tuned For Our Latest Episodes