Mark Schwartz Story
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Mark Schwartz: Looking life square in the eyes
The way forward
I have set goals for myself and I have shared these goals with family and friends, this created an expectation within me and within those I shared it with. One of those goals was that I’m going to walk again. Was that an unrealistic goal, at the point in time I don’t think so. Is it a unrealistic goal now, well I don’t know, in my head I’m saying to myself it is still possible, but my body and my heart is saying something different.
I have applied every bit of myself to get back on my feet.
Today I had to face the facts, that my destiny in life is going to be achieved within a wheelchair.
I had to ask myself if this is the end of the world as I know it.
The only answer I have is no. I will still have to get up every morning and go to work. I will still have the time of my life with my Wife and Children. I will still love the freedom of the outdoors. I will still explore, I will still eat, I will still be Happy and Sad, I will still grow old. And most of all I will still face challenges and adversity in the face.
The only difference is that I’ll be doing it sitting down.
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Believe me and believe me fully, this short letter has not come easy and I have not given up Hope, but for now, there is more to life.
By forcing my mind and body to do this and to keep myself positive, I have actually made myself unhappy and frustrated.
I would rather be a happy and smiling Mark in a wheelchair, than having to cope with the emotional turmoil I have put myself through the last year.
Believe me that I will not change my way of thinking and doing things, I will still look every day square in the eyes, and I will still take on a challenge and make the best of it.
I hope you can all understand, and respect my decision.
And always remember it is still the same man only sitting down.
And I get better parking than all of you.
Yours wheeling
Mark Schwartz
Mark sustained a L1 incomplete spinal cord injury after a motor vehicle accident at the end of November 2007. He is 36 years old and was employed in the building industry at the time of accident. Within 3 months he returned to work as a factory manager at Shonaquip.
He was initially rehabilitated at UCT Private and then attended outpatient rehab at WCRC till the end of 2008.
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