“Thankful” doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel when I think about this man and how he has affected my life. *
Several years ago, Matt was involved in a terrible car accident. He was asleep in the passenger’s seat of his friend’s car as they were awaiting roadside service on the shoulder of the freeway. The driver of a gravel truck fell asleep behind the wheel and hit them. Matt woke up in ICU, intubated and unable to move. He had suffered multiple fractures, severe internal organ damage, and a traumatic spinal cord injury. The accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. Matt woke up in the hospital that night to discover that not only did he lose the use of his legs, he also lost his friend who didn’t survive the accident. *
This is how I met Matt. He came to my hospital for rehab. I was the first clinician to transfer him out of bed and into a wheelchair to begin his recovery process. I’d like to say that it was “love at first sight” or that our “connection was instant,” but honestly, that wasn’t the case. Matt had a long road of recovery ahead of him; physically, mentally, and emotionally. I was also on a journey of healing from self destruction, so finding love was not on my radar. Matt transferred to another facility for ongoing rehab, but kept in touch to update me on his progress. Since then, we have not gone a day without talking. *
And we fell in love. Through an unfortunate and tragic event came a relationship both of us never anticipated. Over time, Matt regained his ability to walk with bracing and adaptive devices. Today we have a family, a home, and an adventurous life together that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. I believe the circumstances of how we came in to each other’s lives has taught us to never take one minute of time we have together for granted.”
Several years ago, Matt was involved in a terrible car accident. He was asleep in the passenger’s seat of his friend’s car as they were awaiting roadside service on the shoulder of the freeway. The driver of a gravel truck fell asleep behind the wheel and hit them. Matt woke up in ICU, intubated and unable to move. He had suffered multiple fractures, severe internal organ damage, and a traumatic spinal cord injury. The accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. Matt woke up in the hospital that night to discover that not only did he lose the use of his legs, he also lost his friend who didn’t survive the accident. *
This is how I met Matt. He came to my hospital for rehab. I was the first clinician to transfer him out of bed and into a wheelchair to begin his recovery process. I’d like to say that it was “love at first sight” or that our “connection was instant,” but honestly, that wasn’t the case. Matt had a long road of recovery ahead of him; physically, mentally, and emotionally. I was also on a journey of healing from self destruction, so finding love was not on my radar. Matt transferred to another facility for ongoing rehab, but kept in touch to update me on his progress. Since then, we have not gone a day without talking. *
And we fell in love. Through an unfortunate and tragic event came a relationship both of us never anticipated. Over time, Matt regained his ability to walk with bracing and adaptive devices. Today we have a family, a home, and an adventurous life together that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. I believe the circumstances of how we came in to each other’s lives has taught us to never take one minute of time we have together for granted.”