HOPE FUND; Disabled after 2 Accidents but That's Not All Douglas Phillips Has Faced; Challenges Accumulate

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Byline: Jordan Harirchi

Amid the aged furniture, outdated electronics and old VHS tapes in Douglas Phillips' small apartment sits an old beer koozie that sums up Phillips' situation. Printed in lime green letters on the black-colored foam are the words: "This is not the life I ordered."

In 1996, Phillips was an up-and-coming stockbroker in Sunnyvale, Calif., two years into a career he had picked up after several years of trying to decide on a path for his life.

Then, a hit-and-run car crash changed everything, leaving him in constant pain and unable to work, a situation exacerbated by another accident in 2001.

Now 53, Phillips has no income. He has been living off his …