The Gift of Hope

By November 27, 2018 Uncategorized No Comments

 

Kris McCoy

Kris McCoy

I would like to spare a few of your seconds by thanking you the reader for taking the time to pay attention to what I am about to express to you. My name is Kris McCoy and what you are not aware of is the fact that I look like your average everyday guy walking down the street. The truth of the matter is that once you get within 100 feet of me you start to notice I am quite unique. I am writing this article with the usage of both of my hands as well as the use of all my phalanges. I have overcome in the impossible. With all odds stacked against me I have been given the most precious gift of all: An opportunity to give hope on this Giving Tuesday.

The gift to give is something not many can actual say they do anymore. I hope to encourage you to give openly and willingly once you have heard a little bit about what giving can do for people who are trying to overcome things that most would rather give up and walk away from. So, without further ado, here is a little bit about me that you might not otherwise know unless you have meet me. On December 10, 2016 was a normal day like any other except I was visiting with my sister our dad who lived in Yukon, Pa at the time. I took my little brother to Dunkin Donuts and grabbed the entire family some yummy goodness. Once we got home, I just was such in a rush to ride the four-wheeler I forgot about the donuts. Everything was great when I went riding the trail my dad mapped out for me the three times prior, however on this fourth time it was not the same. This fourth time out on the trail would change my life forever. I woke up on December 18, 2016 from my recollection and that’s when the nightmare became a reality. My mouth was wired shut I had a trachea in my throat so I could breathe and a stomach tube that was feeding me nutrients. The harsh reality that the horrible terrifying devastating attack and assault really did happen. I was unable to move, speak, feel, smell, you name it everything I once took for granted was no longer in my grasp. My entire life had been stripped away from me. My brain has sustained three blows to the head with blunt force trauma causing one to actually degloved my entire left side. My jaw was shattered into thousands of fragments of bone with five of my lower teeth gone, and my jaw is missing. Both of my mandibles were completely shattered. Not to mention my back is permanently broken at the L11, three of my right ribs completely shattered, and my body was bruised and stomped on. To say the least it is a miracle I am even able to breathe. I have been completely paralyzed and have learned how to use a wheelchair to a walker to walking.

I have gone from mouth wired shut to now able to speak even though I prefer to be Mute. Once unable to utilize both my hands and feet, I am now without a doubt able to utilize all my body parts. I have had many doctors and rehabilitation staff come in and out of my life as well during my recovery. The one thing that was amazing is one person worked with a few different organizations to be able to direct me in the path of Small Victories Foundation. I was informed that they work with people whom have Traumatic Brain Injuries as well as those with other forms of Brain Injuries to help them to be able to get some type of creativity in while learning how to utilize limbs and brain functions again. Once told I could take up drum lessons, I was all in. At this time in my recovery I was afraid to be in the room with a man alone or even outside of my house. I did not have the best motor skills and to say the least my attention span was as short as a fuse to a fire cracker. After months of practice I actually was getting great however the ringing in my ears was getting worse. I sadly had to walk away from drumming at the time however was advised that Small Victories Foundation also lets you get creative with art such as drawing or pottery. I decided to take on pottery since it forces you to focus and utilize all of my limbs all the things I needed to get even further in my recovery. Well let’s just say that with pottery I have seen how artistic I really am. At one point in time I would try and throw a bowl and get some type of weird formed blob. Now when I throw pottery, I can actually make a bowl that is able to be used. Small Victories Foundation has provided me hope in seeing the progress I have been able to not only reach but maintain as well as keep pushing forward through my recovery. I know that without Small Victories Foundation I would not be as far as I am in my recovery without these awesome programs provided at no cost to the clients.

It has been less than two years since my recovery has started and I can say with much faith, hope, and love anything is possible. The mindset to be able to give people hope has taken me some time, since I was advised by every medical professional that I have meet that I should not be able to do majority of the things I have been able to accomplish. I have been able to inspire people to not give up and to keep going. You have to know within yourself who you truly are to be able to give to help those in need. A large portion of my recovery has had, and will continue to have, Small Victories Foundation in it. This foundation has made my life a little easier to say the least.

On this Giving Tuesday yes, I am asking that you please reach into your wallet or purse or reach out to your account and give abundantly. When we have humans helping humans to be able to get back to normalcy or complacency as we call it, we need the village to come together and help us. I am asking not only as a human being but as a person with multiple Traumatic Brain Injuries that you be willing to say that you gave to a cause knowing that it is helping a group of people whom otherwise would be left to be lost in their thoughts without these amazing programs that Small Victories Foundation provide. Remember those small things that we forget to say that we are grateful and thankful for. The capability of sight, taste, smell, hearing, feeling, the list goes on and on and on. We I say we because I myself still after everything I have been through still sometimes take the simplest things for granted. Do not forget to take a moment and be grateful to be able to be thankful for the things that you have in this life. In doing so please donate to Small Victories Foundation on this Giving Tuesday to help not only myself yet other fellow Traumatic Brain Injury and Brain Injury survivors continue to succeed in their recoveries. We thank you so much for taking the time to donate to a cause that really does help change the world one person at a time.

Thanks,

Kris McCoy

SVF is pleased to feature the very talented writer Kris McCoy. 

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