Impact Players: A post from Tom

Every week the party grows. The folks that work at Craig poke their heads in the door and say hi, or grab a quick bite to eat, or simply smile as they stare through the conference room window.  As Peyton Manning and the Broncos do their thing on TV, the real action is happening in this room on the third floor of Craig Hospital. Courage & bravery in every wheelchair, pushing themselves daily to find new limits. Hurting people taking risks to roll from their room and come into a larger group of people that they don’t know. Awkward shuffling of chairs & tables to accommodate various sized wheelchairs. Trying to eat chips and dip when your fingers don’t tighten like they use to. A fledgling community testing what it is like to expose their personal story and hurt.  An occasional newbie to Craig, still showing surgical pain in their face, towing tired family members with blank stares looking for hope, but not really expecting to find it. The heavy reality of the new beginning- how can I be social again, how do I start?

Enter Kait, the real Impact Player of the Game. She’s invited everyone at Craig to the party- told all the other patients (in that sweet, smiling-  but very commanding tone that she can get) that they need to come and cheer the Broncos. As people arrive, she shouts their name with joy, and is liberal with her introductions to make each person feel welcome and comfortable. She is energized, hooting and hollering with every first down, setting the tone for the room. I laughed out loud last week when a new woman patient came in and Kait cheered with contentment and said “we girls need to stick together!” She then promptly abandoned the Bronco game, turning her chair around to focus completely on the new girl and her story.

It was interesting to watch the babies and kids in the room. Instant acceptance of what to us is a challenging situation. Tessa climbed on to Kait’s lap with joy and I watched them roll through the bridge-walkway that separates the East and West wing. 

 Every patient in that room has a unique story, saturated with grief and loss, yet striving to learn how to live and define their individual hope. Tears mixed with laughter, fighting for the inner strength to fly again. Redefining possible.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

-Tom Wanberg