There's something I've wanted to say here for a long time.

[FightingIrish]

64. When my son got hurt he was six weeks into his freshman year of college

He was majoring in engineering. He was determined that this horrible event was not going to change his life. My late wife and I learned a lot of medical information and terminology we never thought we would need as we helped him get well enough to even start rehabilitation. While we hovered around the hospital bed that was moved into his room at home, he started studying anatomy and physiology to learn why his body didn't work anymore. He had been an all-state soccer player on a championship team.

He returned to school for spring term and changed his major to physics. We hid behind a tree in the pouring rain to watch him wheel himself to his first class. He dealt with his new circumstances like the athlete he is. I watched him do amazing things in a chair he never wanted to be in. We got to watch him walk up to get his diploma. My wife didn't live to see him get his masters degree and become the teacher he was meant to be.

He lost some things that had been important to him but he gained incredible empathy and understanding. Through all of this, he was never bitter which is more than I can say for his parents.