| We have heard so many stories of people who were | | | | fame) could become an inspiration and symbol to |
| born with all kinds of handicaps and despite all the | | | | allthose who are suffering from various disabilities, |
| odds stacked against them, they managed to create | | | | and who have lost hope. |
| a life most others can only dream about. | | | | The meaning he gave to his experience put him in a |
| Yet, many, despite being born with all the money, | | | | resourceful state. As he continued to bear his |
| advantages, resources and opportunities choose to | | | | massive disability stoically and improve, bit by bit, he |
| make nothing of themselves. In fact, many of them | | | | started to write what went to become a best-selling |
| end up destroying their lives. | | | | book called 'Nothing is Impossible'. |
| Here are some examples. | | | | Though imprisoned in his body, Reeve gave hundreds |
| Oprah Winfrey - Street urchin to talk show host | | | | of moving speeches and inspiring seminars; he even |
| extraordinary. What would you say of a child who | | | | directed a movie and won an academy award. |
| was born to a single 13-year-old mother who was | | | | Millions around the world have been inspired by |
| struggling to survive on the streets? What would you | | | | Reeve indomitable spirit and he has raised millions |
| say if I told you that this child became the victim of | | | | through the Christopher Reeve foundation. |
| multiple physical and sexual abuses before the age of | | | | Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope |
| thirteen herself? She later became pregnant and | | | | Heard of Terry Fox, Canadian marathon runner? Well, |
| gave birth to a still-born baby. | | | | at 18 Terry was diagnosed with cancer and had to |
| She often got into trouble with the law before the | | | | have his right leg amputated. |
| age of fifteen. You wouldn't bet too much hope on | | | | Most people would see this as a tragedy and never, |
| her future would you? What if I told you that this | | | | in their wildest dreams, would they see themselves |
| person was Oprah Winfrey, one of the richest and | | | | running. Not Terry Fox. |
| most successful women in the United States? And | | | | This courageous man decided that he would use this |
| she is an | | | | experience to raise money for cancer research and |
| Afro-American as well. | | | | make a difference to all cancer sufferers. So, despite |
| Superman to Paraplegic...and now an Inspiration to all | | | | having only one leg, Terry started to run across |
| Now, think of Christopher Reeve. Many of us | | | | Canada to raise a million dollars. |
| remember Reeves as invincible Superman. He not | | | | Sadly, half way through his journey, Terry contracted |
| only had super strength but super powers, he could | | | | another cancer, this time in his lungs. He was forced |
| literally fly. More than that, Christopher Reeve had | | | | to stop his run and died on June 28, 1981. However, |
| the fantastic physique to make the role he played to | | | | because of the inspiration that his courage had |
| super stardom, magical and believable. | | | | created, he raised over US$24 million for his cause. |
| Then, in 1994, a tragic horse riding accident left | | | | Today, over $330 million has been raised around the |
| Reeve paralyzed from the neck down for life! Initially, | | | | world through the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope. |
| the meaning he attached to the accident was that | | | | In all of our lives, there will always come a time when |
| his life was over and that he would be a burden to | | | | things seem unfair, that no matter how hard we |
| everyone. | | | | work for something, we did not get what we |
| Utterly depressed Reeve wanted his doctors to take | | | | believed we deserved. It may even be a terrible |
| him off life support and allow him to die. It was his | | | | tragedy. |
| wife who asked him to give himself (and his family) | | | | Many people allow events such as these to destroy |
| two years. If, at the end of the two years, he felt | | | | theirself-esteem, their faith and belief about |
| the same way, they would find a way to let him go. | | | | themselves and the essential goodness of others. |
| But as Reeve's rehabilitation began, surrounded by his | | | | They allow these events to cripple them forever in |
| very loving and supportive family and friends, he | | | | taking action. But there are always others who use |
| started to attach a totally different meaning to his | | | | what appeared to be negative events/happenings to |
| disability. He began to see that he (because of his | | | | grow stronger, wiser and more powerful. |