One Minute You're Healthy......

One minute you’re healthy, and then

Twenty-six years ago, I thought I was healthier than most of you reading this article. I had never experienced as serious illness, disease or injury, and having my tonsils out was the worst that had happened to me. For six years, I rode a bicycle everywhere, including to a part-time job and the high school where I taught fulltime. I rode at least 100 miles a week and was seldom off because of illness. Sounds pretty healthy, doesn’t it?
Then, when I was 37, a benign tumor was discovered in my head.

Later, more tumors were found, and as a result, I had four cranial surgeries and over a dozen other surgeries. At one point, my family, friends, and doctors thought I would not live more than a few weeks. For the next six years, I took “vacations” in the hospital almost annually and now am on oxygen 24 hours a day. To date I have spent 534 days in the hospital. As a result of the surgeries, I have lost the hearing in my right ear, the sight in my right eye, and my voice. I can no longer eat or drink except through a hole in my side. My wife will attest - the only thing I take by mouth is kisses.

After my recovery, I kept asking what God wanted me to do with the rest of my life. I now believe God wants me to be a drummer to call attention to the needs of persons with disabilities.

All of God’s children are precious. Just because you are not disabled or do not see many persons with disabilities around, you who welcome God’s children still need to provide for those with special needs. If you used a wheelchair but your church, mosque or synagogue’s parking lot had curbs and the bathrooms inside were non-accessible, would you feel truly welcome there?

In today’s world, more and more people are surviving illnesses and injuries that would have caused death in the past. They live, but they have disabilities. Some disabilities come with age; everyone faces those. Disabling accidents happen even on our city streets, and one could happen to any of us on the way home from services next weekend. Isn’t it wise that we prepare for a world with growing number of persons with disabilities? Although you may now feel as healthy as I did 30 years ago, things can change very quickly.

Rich Curby