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IT STARTED WITH AN ANGEL

"Hello." Just a single word and my heart stopped. It was a few years after my accident and I was living in a house with a personal aid. I was phoning my cousin who lived in another town and state, and Tami, her roommate, answered in her absence. She had the voice of an angel. I asked to speak to my cousin and she replied, "She's not here. May I ask who's calling?" I became instantly intoxicated by the sound of her voice. I told her who I was and she said that my cousin had spoken of me. We talked for a few minutes then I said I would call later. It was all I could do to wait for 'later' because I had to hear that voice again. That evening I called and talked to my cousin but only for a little while, for now I had to know about her roommate. She told me a little about her and after we finished, I asked to speak to Tami. We must have talked for over an hour. With her every word I found myself becoming drawn into another world. There was no paralysis there. She saw past it. She saw inside me and seemed to like what she saw. Love poured out from her with every word. When we finished, I told her I'd call her back the next day (a Saturday) which I did... three times! Then three times again on Sunday. During the third call on Monday, I heard words I never thought I would hear. With a heavenly sigh she said, "I'm falling in love with you." It was as though I had been given life again. How could anyone love me? I thought. I continued to call her three times a day and then by Thursday I was completely overcome. I asked her to marry me over the phone, sight unseen. She heartily agreed, and in less than two months she had packed her bags and moved away from her town and state and into my paralyzed arms. We were married in an intimate ceremony in my house in front of family and friends. On our first morning together she got up to fix my breakfast and brought back my usual bowl of cereal on a tray. Beside it was a single crimson rose in a slender clear vase. I was so moved. It was as though God was saying, "I am with you." Two years later we moved to her town because, besides her friends, I had relatives there. Now it is our home. My mother moved as well and married again. She and my step-father live ten minutes away from us. Ten years later we adopted a child and now God has blessed me with what I thought was impossible for someone in my condition... a family. Also, thanks to the remarkable progress of computer and music technology, I'm able to create music again, and I continue to sing His praises. By the way, if you're wondering how I type if I'm unable to use my hands... I have a mouthstick I use to peck at the keys--one at a time. It takes a while but I couldn't type any faster with my fingers before my accident. (smile) When you're disabled, you learn to use what works and just make do. It's quite an adventure! (Wedding Photo Shown.)

And Then One Day...


So there I was, going on with my life, finally settled in and it hit me. One of my battles is my inability to cough without someone's help. They must push on my diaphragm, much like the Heimlich maneuver, and help me cough any congestion from my lungs. Sometimes, however, there's just too much and I get an infection which leads to pneumonia. So, very next year after we had adopted my son, I found myself full of congestion, barely able to breathe, unable to cough, and headed to the hospital.


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