Congratulations. I thought 20+ years was a milestone, 50 is unbelievable. On Friday, July 8, 2016, <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Sunday, July 10, I will have reached a milestone. I have not known many > people with severe spinal cord injuries reaching this milestone. On July 10 > it will be 50 years post spinal cord injury. In the past, those on the > world of quadriplegics were not expected to reach this milestone. In > fact, in 1968 after 2 ½ years post injury, my parents made the decision to > bring me home from the Elizabethtown Cripple Children’s Hospital. The > head nurse took my father aside and gave him some advice. Her advice, > take him home, buy him a television and wait for him to die. It sounds > cruel, but the thinking in the 1960s was quadriplegics do not survive a > long life. > > > > There are several reasons I have reached this milestone, the first is by > the grace of God and second is the Vietnam War. During the Vietnam War the > MASH units were advanced resulting in many soldiers returning home > severely wounded with many spinal cord injuries and our government pushed > research on how to better their lives. > > > > Throughout the years after 1966, many trials, tragedies, blessings and > lessons were learned. The 2 ½ years I spent in Elizabethtown Hospital > helped prepare me for these 50 years. Being exposed to all kinds of > children with illnesses, injuries and birth defects helped prepare me for a > life much different than I would’ve ever dreamed. > > > > Starting a small business in the early 1970s seem to reinforce the fact > that with God’s help I could do anything. I believe that physical issues or > injuries to a person when they are young gives them the stamina and drive > to succeed. > > > > I wanted to work in electronics, but was encouraged by OVR (Office of > vocational rehabilitation) not to go into this field. I always was > interested in electronics and enjoyed making things spark. I told my OVR > counselor, if you were not helping me to take a correspondence course, I > would pay for it myself. The Lord put the need on people’s hearts and I > would take money sent to me in get well cards and put that toward a > correspondence course. After I had completed three quarters of the course, > the counselor realized I was serious and OVR paid the last part of my > education. > > > > > > The Lord always put you in the right place at exactly the right time. In > the 1970s and early 1980s our country had a gas crisis. One of the things > jumping in popularity was the citizens band radio. This was the start of my > journey into the electronics field. The Lord guided me to treat my > customers with respect and honesty. I definitely followed his lead. We > migrated from consumer electronics into business communications, then into > the public service. In 1998, when we sold the business, we had serviced > fire equipment through our mail in division to 49 > > States. > > > > Throughout the years I learned many lessons, some hard and some easy, but > I learned that God was guiding my life. In the mid-1990s my wife had a hip > replacement surgery go bad and as she was my main caregiver, outside people > were hired taking pretty much everything we had saved. No bitterness, this > is God’s plan, suck it up and follow him. That has been pretty much what I > have done all my life. > > > > The last two years have been quite a roller coaster ride. There were days > that I did not believe I would make it through, other days I felt like I > could lick the world. Things are still happening physically, but we keep > our focus on Him and we take each day as it comes. > > > > I’ve been on the quadlist, probably over 20 years and many times found > information from others helpful. > > > > I’m going to “ suck it up”, 51 is only 365 days away. > > > > Glenn Henry >
