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Greg Wagner is more than a 24 year-old male; he’s a survivor. Born a healthy boy on April 2, 1985, nobody anticipated that he would be fighting for his life only 3 years later.
Being stricken by a ruptured brain aneurysm and stroke in June 1988 was tragic. However, Greg has never viewed the hemorrhage as a disability. Everyone tells him stories about how devastating the event was, but their stories are his only memories of the event. He was too young to remember his aneurysm. This is the only way he has known his body to be. The way Greg sees it, how can he call that a disability? Obviously there were, and still are, obstacles to overcome, but everyone has obstacles. His may be different than yours, but no two people live the same life. No two people have the same limitations, but we each have disabilities to overcome. Greg focuses on the perspective with which you embrace your limitations and how that outlook influences what you are able to accomplish. His parents and doctors knew how much he had suffered, but they refused to let him settle. They pushed him to get better and hired physical therapists until he was 11 years old. Having others try and strengthen his right side caused Greg to retaliate against everyone. He cried when he couldn’t complete an exercise and refused to try because he hated to see himself fail. He hated that all his friends could hop on their right foot with ease, but trying to hop on his own, even 3 consecutive times, brought him to his knees. After-effects of the aneurysm are 6-fold. His dexterity and motor control are impaired to the point where his right side cannot function without assistance from his left. The streaming nerve damage affects his balance and results in a lack of coordination, along with a dulled sense of touch very similar to when your foot is either falling asleep or coming out of that state. It also limits the physical strength across the right side of his body. Greg has lost the peripheral vision in his right eye. Despite these limitations, the accomplishments Greg has achieved have proven to everyone—disabled and non-disabled alike—that a disability does not dictate the life you live. Despite his disability, Greg’s milestones even extend beyond what most people without a disability would consider attempting. He doesn’t see any reason why he can’t accomplish what he envisions. These accomplishments include: Greg has overcome his disability because he believes anything is possible. That’s been his motivation to create a motivational speaking program. He focuses on a dozen speaking points that share the lessons he has learned across his life. Fact is that we all have disabilities—setbacks, limitations—and Greg wants to help everyone overcome their individual disability. Your opportunity is limited by convincing yourself that you can’t. By embracing his disability, Greg is showing everyone how they can. Press Coverage: Washington Post, Children’s Hospital Foundation, CNN, AlphaOneNow.com, CBS news (WUSA- DC), NBC news (WBAL- Baltimore), ABC news (WMAR- Baltimore), Carroll County Times, Home Team Sports, Children’s Hospital |
© 2010 Greg Wagner |