Shane Goddard after a 1997 spinal cord injury from motorcycle accident left him paralyzed. (Photo submitted)
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Imagine it’s a Monday morning.
The alarm clock wakes Shane Goddard; announcing that it’s time to quickly wipe the sleep from his eyes, get dressed and head for the gym.
The path of least resistance would be to turn the alarm off, pull the covers snuggly around his neck and go back to sleep. But his mission won’t allow it.
For Shane, 30, of Murfreesboro, it’s more than toning his muscles or losing a few pounds. His mind is fixed on what is planned for 2013.
There will be many days just like this one as he prepares for the months ahead.
In less than two years, he will take his seat on a bicycle and push off on a coast-to-coast journey of approximately 3,000 miles.
You see, Shane is a self-professed “walking, talking miracle” who wants to share his compelling story by going from town to town, city to city offering hope and encouragement to those with spinal cord injuries or with other major challenges.
Let’s go back in time 14 years when an accident changed his life. A motorcycle enthusiast since he was a small boy, his dream was to someday be a professional in motocross. His miracle story began on March 16, 1997, in Christiana.
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon filled with speed, jumps and a few complex maneuvers on his bike. Then something happened. He wrecked; something that had happened several times before, nothing unusual, all part of sporting competition.
He thought he would do as before, simply get up, brush himself off, and get back on his bike. You can almost imagine what raced through Shane’s mind when he could not get up. What’s wrong, he thought. Why, why? He passed out.
He awoke at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville after being airlifted. A team of doctors was talking and lifting his legs. Shane was paralyzed from the waist down, the result of his spinal cord being severed in the accident.
His family rallied around him offering words of encouragement, praying that God would perform a miracle.
Shane also prayed, “Jesus, please help me. You know me better than any doctor because you made me.”
Time passed slowly. The doctors and therapists agreed Shane would be bound permanently to a wheel chair.
He didn’t like those words, believing a miracle was possible.
His mother – Linda Goddard – didn’t like those words either. She became determined, doing research on spinal cord injuries, and also learned about the Shepherd Center, a renowned facility in Atlanta.
Linda and Shane made the move to Atlanta. Doctors there reminded Shane of an old adage. If Shane did not use his muscles, he would lose use of them. His muscles needed to be stimulated. His therapists used a process that literally sent electrical impulses to massage those dormant muscles.
Days turned into weeks. With therapy, encouragement, and daily prayer, something began to happen.
Shane recalled one day after lengthy therapy and his usual prayer for healing. He glanced at his toes. He could move them. Shane cried, giving thanks for the miracle. The signal was being restored from his brain to his muscles through the spinal cord.
Progress was slow. Over time, Shane was able to move about with crutches and later with a walking cane.
Today, he walks with only a slight limp.
Like many people, Shane has asked questions time and time again. What is my purpose in life? What did I learn while going through that deep valley as I learned to walk again?
Shane now believes that his experience may be helpful to others. That is why he is writing a book and why he has begun speaking to church and civic groups, sharing his story about being a walking, talking miracle. And that is why he will be riding a bicycle in 2013 across America. |
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