September 8th 2024.
I can hardly find words to describe the overwhelming emotions that flooded through me in that moment. I had just finished posing in a bodybuilding competition and to my surprise, I was announced as the winner. It was a surreal feeling, one that I never thought I would experience just four years after facing the possibility of having my life support turned off.
It all started in April 2018 when I was involved in a serious car accident. I don't remember much about it, but I was told that I had been driving on a familiar road when suddenly, my car swerved onto the other side and collided with another vehicle. The impact was so severe that I was thrown into a nearby bus stop. After an investigation, it was determined that my e-cigarette had fallen off the dashboard, causing me to reach for it and lose control of the steering wheel.
At the scene, a kind stranger rushed out of his house to clear my airway as I was choking on blood. I never got the chance to thank him, but I will forever be grateful for his quick thinking and help. I was then taken to the hospital where I underwent treatment for brain injuries and a broken rib. The damage was so severe that a part of my skull had to be removed to relieve the swelling in my brain.
I was in a coma for three weeks, and during that time, my family was told that I may not make it. Doctors believed I was brain dead and was being kept alive by machines. My mother was faced with the unimaginable decision of whether to turn off my life support. She called all my loved ones to say their goodbyes. But then, a miracle happened. A nurse noticed that I had twitched my little finger, and later that night, I slightly moved my right arm. It was a glimmer of hope that sparked a chain of events.
Instead of pulling the plug, the doctors slowly brought me out of the coma. It wasn't like the dramatic scenes we see on TV. It took time, but eventually, I started making more purposeful movements and even opened my eyes for a brief moment. The next three months were a difficult journey as I had to relearn everything, but with determination and hard work, I was able to talk, read, write, and even walk with the help of a pole.
My physios told me that I may never walk again and would need care for the rest of my life. It was devastating news, and I fell into a deep depression. But my mother refused to accept it, and with her support, I started attending a private rehabilitation center. It was intense, but it yielded quick results. Within five months, I was taking my first steps on my own, and after ten months, I left the center.
I continued to go to the gym and made friends with bodybuilders who inspired me to take up bodybuilding as a way to prove that I could overcome any obstacle. With the help of a new personal trainer, I trained for 16 weeks and competed in a bodybuilding competition for people with disabilities. It was a challenging journey, but I came in first place, and it boosted my confidence and proved to myself that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.
Now at 32, I am working towards becoming a qualified personal trainer, and I am determined to help others who have gone through similar experiences as mine. While I miss certain things from my life before the accident, I am grateful for the progress I have made and for the opportunity to inspire and help others. Life may throw unexpected challenges our way, but with the right mindset and support, we can overcome anything.
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