The Spinal Cord Injury That Changed My Life
Hi, my name is Gerald Waters. I am 26 years old, and I was born and raised in Tennessee. When I turned 21 years old, I sold my truck and moved to the beautiful city of Los Angeles with dreams of pursuing acting. I quickly dove headfirst into the entertainment world. Three years into my LA experience, I was loving life, and what I thought was the peak of my early 20's. I was working two jobs, dating, and having a social life- I quickly began to think I had it all.
Sunday July, 19th would forever change my life. I suffered a fall, and ended up with a Spinal Cord Injury breaking my C-5, C-6 vertebrae. After months of intense in-care therapy I was released from inpatient care to head back to the lovely state of Tennessee where I would be cared for by my beautiful family. Being the stubborn and resilient person I am, I quickly immersed myself into therapy. Going 3-4 times a week, I was determined to prove doctors, nurses, and everyone who was putting limits on me wrong.
How Therapy For My Spinal Cord Injury Saved My Life
I still had a little piece of me still longing for the city life. I never lost sight of my passions and goals of becoming an entertainer and living in Los Angeles even though I had sustained a Spinal Cord Injury. Through friends and different staff, I quickly became part of a therapy program that would change my life. Through this therapy program, I made what I like to call a lifelong friend with my physical therapist. He is a man who not only pushes me to my limits, but also helps me discover new ones every day. Through the loving support of my amazing family and rock solid friends, I am finally able to fly back-and-forth from Tennessee to LA to not only tackle the intense physical therapy demands of this injury, but to also live my dreams of becoming an actor.
Follow me and my journey to see what exciting adventures are to come!!
