Life as a Quadriplegic

Noah Sheppard seemed to have it all. By his senior year at Pickens High, he had been the Pickens High Dragon's quarterback four years running, achieving star athlete status in his sophomore year. He was popular and well liked by all of his peers. Noah graduated in June of 1996, and like everyone else, was looking forward to going to college and making a life for himself. Then he made a decision that changed his life forever.

It was Saturday night in early February 1997. Noah was out with friends drinking a few beers. A few turned into one too many and soon Noah and his friends were drunk. They started talking about fast cars and then the race was on. As they sped along the curvy roads of the North Georgia Mountains, Noah rounded a curve too fast and hit a steep embankment.

The force of the impact threw Noah out of the vehicle and left him unconscious and fighting for his life. He was flown by helicopter to Erlanger Medical Center in Tennessee, one of the best trauma units in the United States. Noah was in critical condition with a severe spinal cord injury. The injury left him paralyzed from the armpits down. Noah would be a quadriplegic for the rest of his life.

When Noah was well enough to travel, he was shipped from Erlanger Medical Center to Shepherd's Spinal Center in Atlanta, a rehabilitation facility where he could receive proper therapy for his condition and learn basic motor and coordination skills again. He remained there for six weeks and was released to face his new life with the support of family and friends.

Noah was never bitter after the accident. He saw it as an opportunity to educate others on the consequences of drinking and driving and not wearing safety belts. He spoke in front of teens at the local high school and in front of lawmakers and legislatures, anyone who would listen to his message.

Time passed and in the fall of 1997, Noah and his mom moved out of state where she took a new job and he enrolled in college. He continued his mission of educating others on the importance of not drinking and driving while studying for his Bachelor's Degree to be an educator.

On a sunny day in May 2004, Noah was driving his Subaru station wagon equipped with special hand controls when a mustang in the other lane lost control, struck the median and went airborne, crossed the center line and slammed into him. Noah was fatally injured and died shortly after he was flown by helicopter to the hospital.

Noah Sheppard lived a short 26 years here on earth. I wanted to tell his story so that his legacy could live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him and maybe inspire someone else to not give up when the going gets tough.

Source: The tragic true life story of a guy I attended school with since the age of 12.