Bob and I hung out the whole summer, running in the field, swimming in the lake and exploring everywhere joyfully.
It was a typical summer afternoon. Bob suggested we skip a language lesson to play basketball. Aha! I would show my defense, lay-ups and three-point shooting. I loved to explore, I loved sports, and I loved basketball most. I believed I would be the next LeBron James.
But my passion for sports came to a sudden stop when I began experiencing extreme back pain later that day.
After several visits to doctors, finally I was told that a spine (脊柱) surgery was necessary. Unfortunately, the surgery accidentally damaged my spinal cord (脊髓). I was in the ward hanging face down to relieve the pressure on my spine.
After four-month rehabilitation training (康复训练) in hospital, reality slowly set in – I was unable to walk again. I couldn't believe this should have happened to me, that it wasn't possible to recover, that I wouldn't become a famous basketball player, that my life as I had known it, was over. My future would be chained to a wheelchair. I was just 16 years old!
Back home, I learned how hard it was going to be to get around in a wheelchair. I withdrew from my friends and my basketball. At Bob's repeated invitation, I agreed to go to our regular swimming hole. Unable to make it down the riverbank alone, I was too proud to ask for help. When I finally realized my pride would keep me away from people and sports I loved, I let Bob carry me on his back to the river's edge.
Allowing others to help was a turning point. I realized my attitude was the biggest barrier I had to face. How could I expect others to see my potential if I didn't see it myself? How could I realize my basketball dream if I withdrew into myself?
Paragraph1:One day, Bob took me to a wheelchair basketball game.
Paragraph2:With Bob's encouragement, I decided to have a try at my dream.
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