Overcoming life's challenges
I just finished watching Christopher Reeve's last project "The Brooke Ellison Story". I have to tell you I am overwhelmed with emotion. The courage of this woman and her family is beautiful. I commend not only her perserverance in obtaining her goals but also her parent especially her Mother to enable these dreams to come true. About 10 years ago I worked with a man that was paralyzed from the neck down from ALS more commonly known for the baseball player Lou Grieg.
When I met Champ I was 20 pudgy and overly bubbly 
He was a 40 year old business owner married with 2 sons my age. I completely identified with Brooke's Mom in this movie because for Champ I was everything for 8 ~ 10 hours a day. I would get him out of bed and shave/shower/brush his teeth/dress him(The first time I showered this man I was so red washing his lower region I remember him saying "Just wash him off like the rest of me" me being young and incredibly niave I said without thinking of course "What does it have a personality of it's own?" let's just say after I heard myself saying this aloud I wanted to crawl in a hole from embaressment!!!!!!! Thank G~d he just laughed) and then off to be the cook for breakfest which I then fed him as he read the morning newspaper held up by a small stand.
After breakfest I switched hats to being his hands in running his business as well as taking dictation for a business he did consulting work with and was writting their Policy and Procedure manual. After taking care of all the business and accounting/data entry ect it was time to creatively look at recipe books for lunch dinner and baking. Throughout the day I would also act as nurse suctioning his traec ect. We would go for afternoon walks looking at the trees and squirrels. Once I ran really fast and let go of his wheelchair on a very slight incline and forgot to put his seatbelt on hehehe but I ran ahead of him laughing saying it's ok feel the wind in your hair.
Only once did I really really mess up I missed the mark on a new massage chair he bought and when I was transferring which I normally did not do one of his Sons did and I was nervous about but he convinced me I would do fine he really wanted to try out the chair. Well boom I was so panick I started laughing out of hysteria he was completely calm saying go get Jay. I go to wake up his 19 year old son to get him flipping out screaming he is sleeping "just put a pillow under his head I will get him when I wake up" I burst into his room screaming GET UP NOW YOUR FATHER IS ON THE FLOOR. I go back down assuming I was being followed to make sure Champ was ok to poor Champ saying "It's ok Coll just get me a pillow".
I cannot imagine how emotionally hard it is having a disabled parent I was a caregiver/business assistant. I can say that I cannot imagine making my disabled parent wait on the floor because I want more sleep. Well I had to rip the cover off his son to get him up and then watch this man run down the stairs like a pyscho throw his Dad on his shoulder literally like a rag doll(Imagine a stuffed stunt dummy in comedys being thrown around this is totally what it looked like)then bam right into the chair. Thank G~d Champ was laughing because I was really pissed off about it and made that known. But the egotistical body builder persona turns on "What a man What a man What a mighty good man" and starts flexing ugh it used to make me sick so we would wrestle so I can pin him and let him know that women have the power and this was entertainment for Champ it gave him something to tease Jay about when he would drink his bulk shakes.
After all of this it was either a meeting with business men coming in and me taking notes or just family coming over to enjoy his culinary creations I assisted him in creating. I worked for champ for 3 years sometimes I stayed just because I was so interconnected within the business family ect I really didn't want to leave I was just amazed by his vast courage and work ethic. I can honestly say this man and the dynamics of his family and business taught me some very profound and life long lessons.
Champ's Mother worked as the administrating nurse at a state run facility and lived next door.Actually his entire family owned most of the surrounding homes so people were always coming in and out and the bull terrior Arnie never was quiet hehe (I cannot stand dogs barking)
The point of my story is just like Brooke Ellison,Champ(not his real name a aquired nickname) looked beyond not being able to utilize his body and continued to support his family using his mind sending both his sons through college buying them Mustangs owning a home having an investment portfolio and he was a self made man.
Working for Champ was like receiving one of the rewards from Donald Trump on the "Apprentice" when the team met the Mayor of New York. Being gifted with profound knowledge is one of the Greastest rewards anyone can receive.
Blessing and Thanks to you Christopher Reeve for bringing the world the Brooke Ellison Story may your Soul soar within the heavens.
ok enough of my rambling I am emotionally and physically exhausted.
Goodnight and G~d Bless
~Peace,Love,Health & Happiness~Extended to all