The fact is none of us know when we may be the victim of a debilitating accident or injury. One moment we could be going through our daily routine as happy as we can be and the next moment we could be struck down with a spinal cord injury or stroke and become disabled for life. One thing we all need to remember is to never say never. It is not always the other person, sometimes it hits close to home.

A real life story about triumph over disabilities!

The following story is true and should be an inspiration to all of us. This story deals with a young 21 year old woman. She had been extremely popular in high school having participated in lots of extra curricular activities including being a member of the Girls basketball team to performing as a Majorette at football games and being a member of several clubs and organizations.

She was attractive,bright and intelligent and very personable and had the whole world ahead of her.

Her passion was riding and training her horses. In other words, she was a horse woman. She owned several horses including a Tennessee Walker. After high school she went to Cosmetology school and became a beautician at a local salon. This turned out to be the perfect career for her as she was very personable and people seemed to just flock to her because of her magnetic personality.

Yes, she had the world on a string, that is until one afternoon in May 1970 .

It seems she had been swimming with a group and was riding back to her parents home on the back of a motorcycle driven by one of her friends. In a split second someone ran a yield sign and ran into the motorcycle. The resulting impact threw her off the back of the motorcycle and she was thrown about 60 feet . This tragic accident resulted in her back being broken resulting in her spinal cord being badly bruised and severely injured.

The ambulance rushed her to a local hospital where she underwent several hours of surgery in an effort to treat her numerous injuries and save her life. After the surgery she was told she was lucky to be alive and would probably never walk again under any conditions.

As it turned out she had suffered what is known as a T-5 injury to her spinal cord which left her with paralysis in her lower body and prevented her from walking again.

This type of serious injury almost always leads to Paraplegia and is caused by an injury to the spinal cord at the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral levels that results in paralysis of the lower extremities. Paraplegia is not reversible as a rule. As technology continues to advance in the area of spinal cord injuries we can only hope a cure will be found soon.

After surgery she spent 90 days in a circle bed at the hospital and required 24 hour monitoring. Her mother spent almost every night there at the hospital with her and each morning would go to her teaching job a the local elementary school.

Catastrophic spinal cord injuries will change your entire life in a split second. When she was strong enough she was transferred to the Georgia Rehabilitation Foundation located at Warm Springs, Ga. This is the same center that President Franklin Roosevelt received therapy for his Polio during his presidency during World War 11. This is of course where the "Little White House" was located.

She spent 12 months there receiving rehabilitation therapy for her disability and began the training to prepare her for life after this tragedy. With the great therapy and treatment she received at the Georgia Rehabilitation Center she was able to learn how to walk with the aid of leg braces and crutches.

This was a major accomplishment in itself and close to a miracle.

Upon discharge from the rehab center, being one not to let her disabilities and circumstances hold her back she went back home and enrolled in a local college to further her education.

Shortly after this she met a young man through a mutual friend and got married not too long after that.

Over the years she has been very active in her church. Among the many activities she volunteered for include Vacation Bible School Director, Cub Scout Den Mother and Sunday School Teacher all while battling constant pain and frequent hospital visits

She has been an inspiration to everyone she comes in contact with due to her tenacious and dedicated desire not to give up and let the disability defeat her. With her bright smile and contagious personality she always makes others feel better. It has been said she has never met a stranger.

Over the years she has endured at least 19 surgeries including knee and hip replacements and a 11 1/2 hour back surgery to secure her spinal cord.

Throughout all of this tragedy and suffering she has endured. She is quick to give glory to God for her life despite all the trials and tribulations.

I almost forgot, while facing all these struggles with her Paraplegia with all its associated health problems she managed to raise two boys who are now grown and doing well.

And...she did all this from a wheelchair.

As you may have guessed, yes, I am her husband.

Resource Author: Don Stone

Mr. Stone is a semi-retired sales and marketing professional with a goal of educating people about the struggles the handicapped and disabled face each and every day.

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