 There's
no denying that Mitch Longley is a good actor, but the wheelchair he uses on PORT CHARLES
is not a prop. Longley, who you may remember as Byron Pierce from ANOTHER WORLD
(1992-1993), was paralyzed in a real-life car accident. Here's the scoop:Digest: Tell us about Matt Harmon. Mitch: Matt Harmon is a 27-year-old paraplegic who was involved in a skiing accident. He decided to become a doctor after his experience with a spinal cord injury. Matt, like so many other people with spinal cord injuries, is already beyond the misconceptions in society (that paraplegics are helpless), and has gotten on with his life. Digest: Will his attitude serve as an example to others? Mitch:Ultimately, he is going to be an example for his peers, his patients and his superiors, as he is fully capable of performing his responsibilities - with a genuine understanding of what it's like to be on the patient's side, which I think is rather nice. Digest: What was Matt's first test? Mitch: A drunk patient doesn't want "this cripple" working on him, but Matt wears him down and talks to him very naturally, making him understand that Matt is the doctor. He says, "I'm going to take that glass out of your forehead, so let's get on with it." Digest: So Matt's a role model? Mitch: Matt's a very positive role model. There are some wonderful examples of disabled individuals in our culture who have so much to offer. The only thing different about us is how we get from one side of the room to the other. |