The Day I Got A Second Chance at Life

Wow I’m sitting here in tears. My brother was 25 when he had a car accident at 25 and became a quadriplegic. He lived to be 63 when he lost his life in another car accident. He became a social worker and worked with veterans with spinal cord injuries. He wished he had the use of his hands so he could have been independent but accepted his life and helped many. You are an amazing young lady.

Absolutely heartbreaking.... I imagine losing Blake was just as traumatic if not more so than becoming paralyzed

I had a bad motorcycle accident last month a lost half my left foot in the process. I’ve been trying to put my life together and stumbled across your channel which I am grateful for. I’m so inspired by you. I cried when I read the words in the frame above your couch, it’s a pity I didn’t learn that lesson years ago.

What a touching tribute to Blake. Glad you had the strength to go back and get the closer to the story while your friends are still around. Hope you keep in touch with them. You are such a strong woman. Much respect ❤

I got a tick bite around 1983 when I would have been 16. Diagnosed as chronic Lyme disease in 2013 when I was 46. 2014 through much of 2020 was quite a battle of ups and downs through different treatments with short term reliefs. November 2020 a new natural medicine antibiotic entered the market that matched all of my Lyme disease coinfections and now I work 2 jobs. But all of this was through the prime of my life when I was going to have a manufacturing business, family, hobby farm and travel. Instead I live with my 87 year old mom and work at a pizza restaurant and a Chevrolet dealership and I have no retirement savings at all.

You are such a brave person for telling your story, as a parent I dread to think how your parents were feeling after it happened, as you know a parents job is to keep their kids safe, they must have been devastated. I know I would rather go through any accident or pain than have my daughter or my wife go through it. You are an inspiration to so many♥️

Made me cry and made me remember how a boy saved my life only to die 30 minutes later. God bless you and I'm glad you are here.

You did not deserve to go through all of this, and Blake did not deserve to die. But it happened, and you still find ways to be happy, and just live your life. I'm happy that you have friends that still care for you and each other after all these years because other people is what allows us to stay strong even after the biggest tragedies.

You are going to have such an impact on so many peoples lives by sharing your story. Incredibly heartwarming and inspiring!

Okay, you got me to cry that time. What a remarkable story, God bless you and bless your angel Blake

"What they really care about"? (0:30) is you, what they're most curious about is how it happened. A tragic loss (of Blake) and yet, the beginning of a new and fulfilling life (yours).

I’m glad I found your channel. After dealing with left sided weakness for a while, I was diagnosed with a C2-3 intramedullary spinal cord tumor about a year ago. After one very arrogant and inexperienced (with a scenario like mine) surgeon told me I would most likely be paralyzed and to go home and spend the holidays with my family, I went to another surgeon who was an absolute angel. He is so kind and humble and was able to successfully remove the entire tumor. Unfortunately, the only way to do the surgery is by causing an incomplete spinal cord injury. I am confident I would be in worse shape if not dead had I let the first surgeon (who was confident he could do the surgery as well as any surgeon in the state 🙄) do the surgery that he had only done twice before. I don’t have to deal with nearly as much as you do and it is SO VERY HARD! It’s so comforting to see what your life has become. I definitely struggle with the grief of losing the life I once had. I was very independent and am now living with my parents again at 28, it is not easy at all! The recovery process for nerve healing is so slow and so unpredictable and I am always wondering where/how I’ll end up. Thank you for sharing your life for people like me who need to hear it!

i live in that house now :) thank you for sharing y’alls story! you are so strong, never forget❤️

As a 90s kid and an early 2000s kid before my parents got divorced my mom and my dad were always very strict about my safety and i was definitely fine with them being very strict about my safety anyway Empowered Para thank you God and thank you Jesus that you are still going very strong and Rest In Peace Blake Madden i hope Blake Madden is keeping you Empowered Para and your family and your friends safe as well amen.

That was one of the most heart wrenching things I’ve ever watched. I don’t know you, but I’m so happy you’re alive.

Don't know how I stumble across videos like this, but that was a heartbreaking story. Too often I myself take health and life for granted.

Damn girl, you just made a 68 year old, hemi cry! Good job!

Thank you for sharing. I had no idea you filmed my house.

Very powerful video , enjoy your " 2nd chance " and never look back , just keep living your best life ! Beautiful documentary !

Thank you. Very informative, I'm into my disability since 1985. C6,7. Met my now wife while at u of u in Salt Lake city. We married in 1987. It's been a great ride. She's been my life saver.