It’s my 41st birthday and I am looking back at what my first year in my 40’s brought me. Spoiler alert: It’s good and bad.
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My inevitable entrance into the 40 club has me taking stock of everything. Don’t get me wrong, I have lived an incredible life. But am I already running out of time to accomplish everything I wanted in life?
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The year has come to an end and we take stock of our wins and losses over the previous year. But as I begin my look back, it’s my future that is at the front of my mind. And it’s scaring me to death.
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In 1997, I was fighting to survive. A severe cold and asthma complications left me paralyzed with a collapsed lung. I spent eight months in the hospital and relied on a ventilator to breathe.
It was a frightening time for me and my family and a day doesn’t go by without me thinking of that ordeal.
More than 20 years later, I have adjusted to life as a person with a disability and the fear of being so close to death has subsided. But with the rise of COVID-19 and the current uncertainty of getting access to a vaccine, the possibility of me being hospitalized is a very real possibility.
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On Nov. 7, 2020, the world learned the news about Joe Biden becoming president-elect. Many people took to the streets across the country to celebrate after a long week of counting ballots and analyzing voter turnout.
As day turned to night Saturday, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris addressed the nation and spoke about what the next four years in office would look like.
For those who watched, there were plenty of memorable moments. From Biden proclaiming his priority to unify the country, to Harris talking about her historic moment becoming the first woman to be elected Vice President.
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If you've been on the internet lately you've undoubtedly seen the viral photo of a young boy in a wheelchair at Target. In the photo, the boy is seen starting admirably at a photo display featuring another young boy in a wheelchair.
“He’s never seen a kid in a wheelchair before,” Demi Porter Garza-Pena, the boy’s mom said during a 12 News interview. “So for him to stop and notice that out of the blue was really heartwarming for me.”
Since its posting on Facebook, the viral photo has been received more than 49,000 likes and 34,000 shares. And the picture has brought up an important discussion online.
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It’s that time of year. The month of September always brings around mixed feelings for me. Sept. 12, 2019 marks the 22nd anniversary of the day I became a quadriplegic.
I can’t believe it’s been over two decades since I lost my ability to move my arms and legs. It seems like yesterday when I was in the intensive care unit clinging to life. Looking back year after year, it is amazing to think about how I overcame such insurmountable odds. And while that was 22 years ago, my childhood is even farther away.
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This is a thread about an encounter I experience all to often as a person with a disability.
Yesterday, I was eating dinner at a local fish place with my dad when a man came up to the table and asked to shake my dad’s hand.
“I just wanted to shake your hand and say it’s awesome what you do,” he said. “I have a son with a disability too.”
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We are all fighting battles. Some fight on a battlefield. Others fight within themselves. But we are all searching for victories in our own wars.
But no matter where or what you’re fighting for, it’s important to remember just how strong we can be.
More than 20 years ago, most of my physical strength left me. My arms and legs weakened by an illness I couldn’t see and condition that seemed insurmountable. As I laid motionless in that hospital bed, surrounded by tubes and cables, I learned the true meaning of "strong."
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This year marked the 20th anniversary of me becoming a quadriplegic.
And among the past two decades, I’ve learned plenty of important lessons. But none more important than the need to have a quality sense of humor.
Sure, there aren’t many things to laugh about when you’ve spent eight months in the hospital and haven’t taken a step in over 8,000 days, but if you look hard enough, you might be able to crack a smile every now and then.
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