In Their Own Words

In each issue of the Journal, we will bring you a column that presents the experiences of our members.  Their stories are presented In Their Own Words by way of letters they have sent us.  We are most appreciative of their willingness to share their very personal stories.  It is our hope that through the sharing of these experiences, we will all learn something about each other and about ourselves.  It is our hope that the stories will help us all realize that we are not alone.  It is important to bear in mind that all newsletters and journals are archived on our web site.  Should someone do an internet search of your name, your article is likely to be identified in their search results.  You may submit your stories by sending them either by e-mail or through the postal service to Sandy Siegel.  Please be sure to clearly state that The Transverse Myelitis Association has your permission to publish your article.

Charlie Green
Ridgeville SC

Hello everyone. Hope everyone is doing well. My name is Charlie Green and I live in Ridgeville, SC. In 1988, I was a fully active boy. I played sports every chance I got and loved hunting and fishing. Up to that point, I was never sick except for a cold here and there. On June 12, my life changed dramatically. I was out of school and went fishing that morning with some friends. That afternoon, I had baseball practice. After warming up and stretching, I went into the dugout and was waiting for the rest of the team to finish loosening up. That's when it hit me.

The first thing that happened to me was the worst pain I have ever felt in my life. My chest felt like it was going to explode. From there, I remember holding out my arms, but not being able to move my fingers. I was able to walk to my father's truck and he rushed me to the emergency room. By the time we made it to the hospital, 15 minutes away, I was completely paralyzed. My whole body shut down and I had to be put on a ventilator.

Three days later, I was transferred to MUSC Children's Hospital. Three weeks later, I was diagnosed with TM. The level was C2 on my spinal cord. I spent three months there with the ability to move only my head and one of my thumbs. I was still dependant on a ventilator. I was then transferred to Shepherd Spinal Center in Atlanta. Within one week, they had me off the ventilator and in a power wheelchair. After three months of PT, I recovered some use of my arms and all of my feeling throughout my body.

I came home and started back to school and continued with my life. I have to say, I have the best family and friends any person could ask for. They have always been beside me and have supported me throughout my life and continue to do so. I went to college and have a degree in AutoCAD, which is computer aided design. I have been married and now divorced. I have a six year old son. Oddly enough, he was born on June 12th, the same day I became paralyzed. He is fully healthy and the light in every day of my life. I have custody of my son, and he just finished his first year of school and t-ball. I am currently in a relationship with a wonderful woman. We have been together almost two years and she stands behind me 100%.

Since being stricken with TM, I have encountered many obstacles on my life's journey, but none have yet kept me down. My philosophy is, don't focus on what you can't do; focus on what you can do and do it to the best of your ability.