My husband caught up with a very old friend the other day. Long story short, one of his daughters, had become paralyzed after having a life saving brain surgery. The following is her account of that experience. I wanted to share it with all of you because it illustrates how powerful our minds are, and how we can defy what has been handed us in life. There are books that illustrate scientifically, our ability to defy our own genetic predispositions, BTW, Molecules of Emotion and Biology of Belief. In any case, this story is true, and I think it may help some of you to read it and hear the message--your mind has incredible power over your body-it is an extension of your body-so use your mind to help yourself and believe every moment in what you are trying to acheive!

Dr.M

Anything is Possible for Those Who Believe

By .....(took out the name for anonymity)

Throughout life, we take many things for granted, and often don’t appreciate what we have. What would you do if you woke up one morning and one incident changed your life forever? How hard would you work to get your life back the way it was before? Would you give up or would you do everything in your power to get it back? I believe in determination. I believe that anything is possible, and if you believe in yourself and work hard, you will always achieve your goals.

We all take for granted the ability to walk, never thinking we could lose it. When I was ten years old, I had a very complicated brain surgery. After waking up from the surgery, I realized that I was paralyzed.  Hearing the doctors telling my parents and me that it would take a long time and hard work to walk again, made me frustrated. One doctor even said that I’d never walk again. However, I refused to accept defeat. I was determined to walk again faster than the doctors predicted. I never cried or felt sorry for myself. I had the drive to walk again.

Two days after the surgery, I had to get out of the bed. The nurse brought me a wheelchair. The moment I saw that wheelchair in the room, I realized how badly I wanted to walk again. Although the nurses said I needed to sit in the wheelchair, I refused to sit on it. That moment, I decided to stand up on my feet. With my mom next to me, holding my hand, I slowly lifted my body and stood up. Even though it was only for a few seconds, I was standing again. Within two weeks of hard work every day, I began to walk again. At first, I couldn't walk very well. I fell, I stumbled, and I had to walk with a special metal device around my leg. Slowly, my walking improved, and six months later, I even went back dancing.  

I wasn’t willing to accept my situation. With determination, I knew I could prove that the doctors were wrong. I was incredibly frustrated that I couldn’t do most of the things I was able to do before. Most people might feel this is a scary situation, but I never really felt frightened. In the months ahead, I faced many obstacles, such as starting a new grade and seeing my old friends, but my determination never left me. I learned that with hard work and never giving up, I can always achieve my goals and I became the strong and confident person I am today. My family and friends were able to support me, but only I could fight to become that person I was before the surgery. I learned that if you’re determined, you can do the impossible.  This I believe.