Lila Ridings Darnell

The Ghost Behind the Wheelchair Lila Ridings Darnell

Sudden paralysis is a circumstance no one wishes to get intimatelyfamiliar with, but such tragedies do unfortunately occur.¿ In my own experience, I've learned that amother will search desperately for the tools of education whenever they'rerequired, but when my son was involved in a life-changing accident, I couldfind no shared experiences written of by another parent.¿ After living through the experience of theaccident's aftermath and the many months of rehabilitation, I was eventuallyable to sit down and put words onto paper in the hope that another mother wouldone day find my experience helpful during their own times of learning andsearching. That immediate past so suddenly lost, without preparation of any kind,brought my old son into focus at the same time as my mind was trying to meetthe new one-who was in many ways a stranger based on the physical limitationsand changes now present in his life. During this time is when I met the ghost--and the handsome man in the wheelchair.¿I was determined to do so positively, but had no instruction book on thenew parenting needs.¿ We learnedtogether, all of us who loved my son, and I can now see that part of the lessonis that the ghost leaves us in his own time as we learn to let him go. There is no one-means or one-method lesson book.¿ I have tried as honestly as I can to sharemy experience as a mother.¿ My attemptis supported by my courageously inspiring son who was the motivator and teacherin many ways and by his younger brother who shared commitment and devotion withme.¿ At the end of our story-which istruly a beginning of another-our lives are full and blessings continue toenrich our times together. The goal of this book is that the reader will findsomething that will take them through Hell Week to the start of their lovedone's new life with more hope and confidence.¿Many have contributed to our progress; I hope I may contribute to thehopefulness of others in similar circumstances.