My Story

I never really knew what had happened. Oh, friends and family told me what they could about that night from what they could piece together. I had gone out to a theater with some friends,eager to see the latest movie. Afterwards we were supposed to meet at a local coffee shop where we hung out. As we were pulling out into traffic I saw a blinding flash of light and then all I knew was pain. I don't believe that the seatbelt I wore did me much good that night. We were broadsided by a drunk driver who was running from the police. My head impacted the window which shattered into millions of tiny pieces. The arm rest drove the air from my lungs. The seat under me buckled and drove my head into the roof of the car and I was knocked unconcious.

The next thing I hear is my brothers voice telling me to wake up. As I open my eyes slowly I can see dim lights in the room. I raise my gaze to my brothers face. I am shocked to see how aged he seems. I try to speak to him but no words come out. My mouth is very dry and my throat feels scratchy. I try to reach for him but cannot command my arm to move. He tells me that I was in an accident, to lay still while he gets a doctor. My eyes follow him but I can't turn my head and he passes from my sight.

After a short time the doctor comes into the room and stands over me. He is old and gray with lines creasing his face. He flashes a light into my eyes and lays a hand on my brow. He tells me of the accident and my injuries. Most of the bones in my body had been broken and I had been in a coma for two years while my body was healing. My spine and neck had separated so badly that I would never walk again. He told me that with luck, someday, I might be able to feed myself but it was a longshot at best. The tears coursed down my face.

I think back on that day now and then. It has been 10 years since the day my life changed. My father, who is a whiz with machines, has built a special house for me. I have a bodysuit that flexes my limbs for me. It is attached to a complex system built into the ceiling that allows me to move about my house and patio when I choose.The helmet I wear interprets my thoughts and relays them to a computer. I can do a lot of things for myself now and can even write about my experience. My father has been requested worldwide to build more houses like mine for other people like me. I don't pretend to understand all of the gadgets he has come up with but I do appreciate all he has done for me.