John Taylor is a man on a mission. You can see the determination in his eyes as he pushes himself a little bit further each day. The 32-year-old father of two dreams of the day he’ll be able to toss aside his wheelchair, dress himself and walk down the street on his own.
John has been a quadriplegic since 1991 when he was shot nearly a dozen times in his head, neck and shoulder by someone he thought was his friend. John says, "That’s how it is in the drug world … friendship, judgment and common sense are blurred by marijuana, cocaine, PCP and greed."
The
shooting left John paralyzed from his neck down. "My father came in and
said ‘John, Jr., I love you. You were the strongest son I ever had.-----I
thought what do you mean HAD! I ain’t going no where yet.---but I knew I was
going to die. I couldn’t breathe so I lay there trying to make things right
with God. I know the Lord heard my prayers because I somehow survived."
For a month, John lay in a hospital bed unable to move. Then, doctors sent him to the Rehabilitation Institute.. John says, "The first doctor asked me, ‘John, what do you want to accomplish by the time you leave here?’ I said I want to walk again. The doctors said, ‘John, let’s be realistic, what do you really want to accomplish?’ After cursing him, I said someday I’m going to leave here walking, you’ll see."
Four months later, John left the hospital far from his goal. "All I could do was operate my motorized wheelchair. I couldn’t lift up my arm. If it fell, I couldn’t bring it back. I was more or less a vegetable, there was nothing I could do." John went to live with a friend, but quickly decided asking his friends and family to bathe, feed, and dress him and even empty his urine bag was just too much. John decided to move into a nursing home.
He chose Swope Ridge Geriatric Center, another CFC agency. John spent 1½ years at Swope Ridge. His sense of humor and big smile made him a favorite of the staff and fellow residents. He loved Swope Ridge and they loved him. It was like therapy and John began to improve. By 1993, he had improved enough to start living with his family. Finally, in 1999, a doctor noted John’s progress and asked him if he wanted to try therapy again. John quickly said yes and returned to the Rehabilitation Institute determined to walk. Whenever he feels weak and tired, John concentrates and thinks about positive, can-do Bible verses that motivate him.
In the past year, doctors and therapists say John has made amazing progress. He’s regaining strength and movement in his arms. Although he still needs the help of an aide to get up and get dressed in the morning, John is now living alone. He’s using public transportation, eating alone in restaurants and most importantly…he’s WALKING with the aid of a walker. John is exercising three times a week at Rehabilitation Institute and walking around the halls of his apartment complex for an hour on the other days.
He’s using his newfound strength to help others. Twice a week John goes to the Jackson County jail to visit inmates. He’s sharing the gospel and encouraging them to chart a new course in life. His determination is infectious. The message, coming from a partial quadriplegic in a wheelchair, is a powerful one. When John isn’t visiting the jail, he’s talking with men and women on probation…but not on Fridays. On Fridays, John spends six hours or so visiting his old friends at Swope Ridge Geriatric Center. He feels it’s the least he can do after the staff and residents were so nice to him. Besides, he enjoys it.
John says, "I think the day I was shot the old me died and now I’m here on a mission to help people. That’s what I’m supposed to do, help people until it’s my time to go. Sort of like CFC."