"Locked in his body, but soaring free"

I watched a Ted Talk called, “My father, locking in his body but soaring free”. The speaker, Kitra Cahana, is the daughter of a man who suffered a severe stroke. She tells his story and how he coped with the aftermath that changed every aspect of his life.

The stroke occurred in his brain stem causing him to become paralyzed all the way up to his eyes. Suddenly, her father needed assistance to eat, maintain proper hygiene, speak, and even needed assistance to breathe. This severity of his medical condition is also known as, the Locked in Syndrome; meaning an individual retains full cognitive functioning but has lost all voluntary movement, except the ability to perform certain eye movements. The only way Kitra was able to communicate with her fully conscious father was by using a letter board.

 What amazed me the most was when she described visiting him at the hospital 3 days after his accident. After only 72 hours, he had already embraced his current condition and was nurturing his family to alleviate the healing process. He said that this was a gift that made him realize that paradise was not something to be found, it was in his body. Within himself.

 It is so inspiring to see someone really take the obstacles in life as an opportunity rather than just telling others to do so. This really speaks to me because we are all going through some sort of challenge right now. I like to imagine myself handling my own hurdles with the same grace and spirit as this man, alas, that is something I still have a lot of to work on.

Taking into account all of the neurological disorders we have recently covered in the curriculum; this story emphasizes how important our perspective is versus what is going on in our life. I believe that everything happens for a reason. We do not always know why, but there is some sort of balance in the world that is beyond our understanding. This man is evidence that if we believe, if we do not accept defeat, we can push our body beyond the limit. He has regained ability to move his neck, to speak and breathe independently, and continues to improve every single day. An uplifting conviction, that is something I hope to be for my future clients.

If you are in need of some inspiration today, check it out. You will not be disappointed https://www.ted.com/talks/kitra_cahana_my_father_locked_in_his_body_but_soaring_free/up-next#t-222995