I AM DAVID, I WAS JUST GOING PROFESSIONAL WITH MY ART CAREER, THE LIFE LONG DREAM OF MY LIFE , WHEN MY DREAMS WERE CHANGED PERMANENTLY AND SUDDENLY. A YEAR AND NINE MONTHS AGO (APRIL 25TH,1997 AT 7:30 P.M. FRIDAY AT AGE 25 , MY THREE DAY HEADACHE SUDDENLY BECAME A MASSIVE BRAINSTEM HEMORRHAGE, FOLLOWED BY A MASSIVE BRAINSTEM STROKE. I WAS PRONOUNCE BRAIN DEAD IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM....THE NEURO DR. TOLD MY FAMILY NO LIFE SUPPORT WOULD BE USED BECAUSE MY BRAIN WAS ALREADY DEAD AND MY ORGANS WOULD QUICKLY FAIL.. ONLY IF THEY AGREED TO DONATE MY ORGANS WOULD THEY HOOK ME UP. MY MOTHER TOLD THEM HER AND DAD WOULD CONSIDER IT BUT ,WOULD NOT SIGN ANYTHING. AFTER SIX TIMES ASKING AND MOM NOT SAYING YES THE DR, FINALLY AGREE TO PUT ME ON LIFE SUPPORT SINCE SHE MAY AGREE AFTER I DIED. I WAS THEN , HOOKED UP ON LIFE SUPPORT ONLY ,TO OXYGENATE MY ORGANS UNTIL , MY FIRST MAJOR ORGAN WOULD FAIL BECAUSE OF CEASED BRAIN WAVES. ( NO EEG WAS EVER DONE TO CONFIRM IT.) MY MOTHER AND FATHER AND ONLY BROTHER ,WERE TOLD THEY COULD BE WITH ME AS I DIED. MOM FOUND OUT MUCH LATER THAT I WAS HOOKED UP JUST AS I WENT INTO RESPIRATORY FAILURE. AS THE HOURS PASSED AND I DID NOT DIE MY MOTHER KNEW I COULD NOT BE BRAIN DEAD. I CONTINUED TO SURVIVE SO , THE NEURO DR. TOLD MY MOM TO LET THEM TAKE ME OFF OF LIFE SUPPORT, THAT I WOULD BE VEGETATIVE, HAVE NO QUALITY OF LIFE AND BE TOTALLY UNAWARE OF MY SURROUNDING , AND I WOULD SIT IN A WHEELCHAIR AND WOULD DREWAL THE REST OF MY LIFE............FLUID WAS BUILDING ON MY BRAIN AND PRESURE.... MOM , WOULD NOT LET THEM D.C. MY LIFE SUPPORT, SO THEY WERE FORCED TO PUT A SHUNT IN MY HEAD TO RELEAVE THE PRESSURE. STILL , TRYING TO FORCE MY MOTHER TO BE REASONABLE AND LET ME DIE. TIME KEPT PASSING THEY HAD TO GET A TRACH IN. THE SURGEON WENT TO DEEP AND CUT MY AIRWAY ONE AN ONE HALF INCHES, SENDING ME INTO M AJOR SURGERY FOR REPAIR. MY FAMILY WAS TOLD , I WAS NOT GOING TO LIVE BECAUSE WITH ALL THE TUBES A HIGH BACTERIA ENTERED MY BODY TROUGH THE CUT INTO MY LUNG CAVITY AN ANTIBIOTICS WERE FEW TO SAVE MY LIFE, IF , I DID NOT DIE FROM THAT, THE THIN TISSUE OF THE AIRWAY WOULD TEAR AT THE REPAIR SITE AND THEY COULD NOT GO BACK IN AGAIN. I SURVIVED THAT TOO! CHECKING THE REPAIR THE NEXT DAY THE DR. ACCIDENTLY COLLAPSED MY LUNG. NOW, DRAIN TUBES ARE ADDED. AN INFLATING BEGINS, NEXT DAY HE COLLAPED MY OTHER LUNG AND ANOTHER DRAIN TUBE AND INFATE THAT TOO......THE DR"S, TELL MY FAMILY THEY CAN DO NOTHING FOR ME AND TO FIND A NURSING HOME. I CANNOT GO TO THE FLOOR , BUT MUST GO FROM CRITICAL INTENSIVE CARE BY AMBULANCE TO A NURSIG HOME. MY MOTHER REFUSED AND HER AND DADS TOOK ME HOME. I WAS TUBES AND MACHINES AND UNABLE TO MOVE EVEN MY OWN HEAD, NECK OR ANY PART OF MY BODY. I WAS TOTALLY DEPENDENT. AS TIME PASSED AND I HAD N O INSURANCE BECAUSE ,I WAS ON MY GRACE PERIOD ON MY NEW JOB WHEN THIS HAPPENED TO ME, SO, NOW TRAPPED ON MEDICAID THEY INFORM MY MOTHER, THERE CANNOT BE ANY REHAB HELP BECAUSE, I AM ONLY A BODY EXISTING BUT ,NOT TRAINABLE TO GO OUT TO THE WORK PLACE AND BE PRODUCTIVE, AND T H E Y DO NOT MAINTAIN BODIES..........SHE STARTED TO WORK WITH ME MOVING MY BODY AND TAKING TURNS WITH MY DAD TO KEEP ALL MY JOINTS MOVING AND DOING MY FULL CARE. DURING ALL THESE MONTHS I CONTINUED TO IMPROVE AND SHE PUSHED FOR REHAB EVALS UNTIL THEY GOT MAD AND SHE GOT ONE , AND THAT RESULTED IN ME BEING APPROVED FOR IN HOME REHAB AND EVENTUALLY OUT PATIENT , TOO. DR"S SAID, I WOULD N E V E R TALK WALK EAT WRITE AND WITH NO EQUALIBRIUM I WOULD N E V E R STAND SIT OR HAVE ANY BALANCE.................... WELL, I AM GLAD G O D IS IN CONTROL BECAUSE, IF IT WERE UP TO ANYONE ELSE BUT, MY FAMILY, I WOULD NOT BE TELLING THIS TO YOU. I CAN SIT AND BALANCE NOW AND STAND AND BALANCE, YES, I HAVE TO BE ASSISTED I CAN MOVE MY STROKED LEG AND I AM WALKING WITH A WALKER THAT HAS EXTENDED ARM BARS SO, I REST MY ARMS AND GET MORE SUPPORT STANDING. I CAN SAY ABOUT TEN WORDS CLEARLY BUT, USE A TALKER TO COMMUNICATE, IT IS DIFFICULT TO TALK THE NUMBNESS IN MY MOUTH AND FACE IT IS LIKE A DENTIST PUTTING NOVACAIN IN YOUR MOUTH AND THEN , ASKING YOU A QUESTION AND YOUR MOUTH CAN NOT FORM THE WORDS TO SPEAK VERY WELL. MY FEEEDING TUBE HAS BEEN REMOVED AS OF OCT, 98 AND I AM EATING PUREED FOOD NOW . AGAIN THE DR DID NOT WANT TO REMOVE IT BUT MOM SAID, TO...... THE DR. SAID , IT WILL GO RIGHT BACK IN , THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO EAT , MOM, WAS RIGHT AGAIN. IT IS GREAT TO TASTE FOOD, AFTER OVER A YEAR WITH NOTHING IN YOUR MOUTH. I HAVE NEVER GOTTEN DEPRESSED. I KNOW G O D AND O N L Y G O D SUBSTAINED MY LIFE AND HE HAS A PURPOSE FOR KEEPING ME ON THIS PLANET THAT IS YET TO BE FULFILLED. I HAVE A SEVEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO IS NOW AFRAID OF ME MOSTLY BECAUSE I CANNOT EVEN SAY HER NAME AND SHE HEARS A VOICE ON MY TALKER THAT IS NOT MINE, SHE SHYS AWAY. I HAVE ONLY SEEN HER A F EW TIMES SINCE MY NOW X-WIFE HAS A BABY BOY WHILE I WAS GOING THROUGH ALL OF THIS........SHE DECIDE TO PARTY, EVEN NOW SHE IS TOO BUSY WITH HER SOCIAL LIFE TO BRING MY DAUGHTER TO VISIT ME, I MISS HER!!!!!! .MY BODY HAS FAILED M E NOT G O D BUT MY OWN FLESH! MY SOUL IS STILL ME...... FINE AND HEALTHY. AND MY MIND IS STILL ME. ALL OF MY SO CALLED FRIENDS ARE GONE, NEVER CAME TO SEE ME, THAT PART IS LONELY. I HAVE ONE BROTHER WHO PRAYED FROM DAY ONE AND BELIEVES IN ME . .AND A MOM AND DAD WHO KEEP WORKING TO KEEP ME LIMBER AND MOVING. REHAB WAS SHORT AND OTPATIENT WAS ALSO, MEDICAID ONLY GIVES ME SHORT SESSIONS AND STOPS................ I DO NOT KNOW IF THEY WILL COVER ANYMORE AND IT IS HARD TO FIND RESOURSES OR INFORMATION TO GET HELP, BUT. DRS, THERAPISTS ALL RECORD THAT I HAVE SURVIVED IMPOSSIBLE ODDS AND HAVE A STRONG WELL AND DETERMINATION..........SO, WHEN YOU READ MY STORY REMEMBER I NEVER GAVE UP AND NEVER WILL AND DON: T YOU EITHER.!!!!!!! DAVE