Corby had always been acrobatic. He was constantly running around, doing back flips and other types of things. It was during his first semester at UVSC, while he was waiting for his bus, that he decided to get out a little energy by doing a back flip off a brick wall. He tested the wall for traction first and then flipped a back flip just fine. Then he tried again and slipped, landing on his neck. Making a long story short, he broke his neck and bruised his spinal cord. The neck was fused and healed fine but the bruised spinal cord left Corby paralyzed from the armpits down. He now uses a motorized wheel chair to move around. He has the use of his shoulders and biceps, but not his triceps. He can move his arms one way and relies on gravity and momentum to move back. He has no use of his fingers but has found ways to pick up items like spoons and can text with his cell phone.
Many might think Corby would be depressed or feel unable to accomplish what he wants to in life. This is completely untrue. Corby is happy and hilarious. He is the first to make a joke about himself and can make you feel immediately comfortable around him. A year ago or so Corby learned to drive and is now living independently at BYU while he finishes his bachelors degree. Corby jokes that he is a "full time disabled person", while going to collage, and is quickly becoming a wonderful motivational speaker.
Corby's message is always the same, that happiness is a choice. Instead of saying I can't, he has discovered what he can do when he says I can, and has chosen to be happy. Every morning we wake up and decided whether we will be happy or not. Depending on the choice we make, we can be mad at the 3 red lights we hit or happy by the 6 green ones. We can be depressed that we have to go to work, or grateful that we have a job. We can be frustrated by the towering pile of pillows and toys waiting for us in the hall, or amazed by our child's engineering capabilities. I can feel lonely because I live so far from my friends and family, or happy that I have a home, friends, and a family who misses me. :)
Happiness is a choice. I choose to be happy.
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Just a few recent Pics...enjoy...and be happy!
Ryan Bridger and Lydia picking out pumpkins
My Barbie Princess and Mr. Incredible
Playing in the Leaves
Ryan pulling Bridger and Lydia in our back yard
The pile of pillows and toys in the hall.
(this is a small one)
From the bedrooms
from the living room
Ryan buried in a new pile
Bridger's best friends Caleb and Lydia
1 comment:
I love Lydia's costume.
*sniff* I miss Sydney!
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