Friday 7-6-07
So when ever I am feeling sorry for myself I always think of my friend Deni who passed away from cancer (she was my age) a couple of years ago and I realize how lucky I am. And now, another old friend to add to my list. It breaks my heart when such truly wonderful people have such bad things happen.
So when ever I am feeling sorry for myself I always think of my friend Deni who passed away from cancer (she was my age) a couple of years ago and I realize how lucky I am. And now, another old friend to add to my list. It breaks my heart when such truly wonderful people have such bad things happen.
Here is part of the local newspaper article:
With sweat running down his face, Columbia native Sam Russell lay motionless and covered in dirt Thursday next to the shattered bike helmet that probably saved his life.
He had just been catapulted into a tree during a noontime mountain bike ride on a trail around the Trek Bicycle Corp. headquarters near Madison, Wis. His cell phone was in his shorts pocket, but Russell thought it would be better not to move. Instead, with no feeling in his legs, he waited for help.
He had just been catapulted into a tree during a noontime mountain bike ride on a trail around the Trek Bicycle Corp. headquarters near Madison, Wis. His cell phone was in his shorts pocket, but Russell thought it would be better not to move. Instead, with no feeling in his legs, he waited for help.
Russell moved from Columbia to Wisconsin four years ago to work for Trek, and Thursday’s ride was his first on that portion of the Trek trail. The 28-year-old had successfully completed the first jump, but he was going too fast to complete the second. He lost control, ditched his bike and collided with the tree headfirst.
"It just tossed him farther than he thought it would have and farther than he should have gone," his mother, Tribune columnist Nancy Russell, said.
As he lay there, self-pity occupied his thoughts, his mother said Sam told her. "I did what everybody does," she recalled him saying. "I was ticked off. I was mad. I was, ‘Why me?’ "
Then Russell realized he was lucky to be alive. He realized he could feel his fingers. He realized he’d live to see his three daughters, Fiona, 4, Neav, 3 and Nori, 9 months.
Then Russell realized he was lucky to be alive. He realized he could feel his fingers. He realized he’d live to see his three daughters, Fiona, 4, Neav, 3 and Nori, 9 months.
Sam was put on a stretcher and taken to a University of Wisconsin hospital in Madison. His mother said Russell broke his T-9 vertebrae, cracked his C-6 vertebrae, broke his ribs and injured his right rotator cuff. He now rests in a body brace and neck brace at the hospital, paralyzed from the waist down.
I guess if I was Sam I would be thankful that I would get to see my girls grow up; but I can’t imagine how hard this is on him, and his family. I am learning to pray again and it is good.
I guess if I was Sam I would be thankful that I would get to see my girls grow up; but I can’t imagine how hard this is on him, and his family. I am learning to pray again and it is good.
2 comments:
Prayer and faith have been proven to help people recover from injuries and illnesses. It's important to know someone else cares about you. I don't know the facts of the case but paralysis isn't always permanent. The hope of recovery is sometimes really important while people come to terms with the fact that their lives have been changed forever. You probably know all of this. Just something to think about.
Judy, I am glad to see you are doing well, your kids are cute as ever. Just so you know I am doing OK and most days I find something that is a little essayer to do. I did a Google search for my name and I found your blog. the world is so small now.
Sam
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