People fall down, winners get up, and with Siskin Hospital people get up a lot faster, said Bonnie St. John, the inspirational speaker at Siskin Hospi-tal’s, eighth annual Possibilities Luncheon to celebrate life be-yond disability.
The Possibilities Luncheon was held Feb. 16 at the Con-vention Center to raise funds for Siskin Hospital patients who do not have adequate insurance or funding to pay for their rehabilitation care.
Possibilities is Siskin’s largest community-wide fundraising event, and Siskin depends on the Chattanooga community every year to make this event a success, ultimately benefiting the patients, said Lindsay Wyatt, media relations for Siskin.
The 2011 event was co-chaired by Lynda and Jim Sattler, who along with dedicated members of the Steering Committee worked diligently to help sell tickets and table sponsorships, filling over 80 tables at the event.
Cindy Sexton from News Channel 3, whose father was at Siskin for rehabilitation after a stroke two years ago, hosted the Possibilities Luncheon. The event featured personal accounts of how individuals have overcome their disabilities to achieve amazing accomplishments. There was a special patient video featuring Chuck Evans and Megan Massey, with heartwarming footage of these Siskin Hospital patients who had miraculous recovery stories to share.
The day before Thanksgiving, Evans suffered a work related accident where both legs were caught in a conveyor belt and had to be amputated below the knee. After fighting for his life, Chuck came to Siskin for his rehabilitation and recovery. With the support of his family, his faith and the caring staff at Siskin, he is now able to walk again.
“Despite their overwhelming obstacles, they are living their possibilities today,” said Sexton.
Massey shared her story of how she had a stroke at age 25 that partially paralyzed her right side and left her unable to walk, talk and move independently. With help from Siskin in physical, occupational and speech therapies, Massey now can hold and take care of her two-year-old daughter Addison less than a year after the stroke.
Another inspiring patient was A.B. Barnes, a saxophone player whose motorcycle accident left his future uncertain. Although A.B. lost a leg, he never lost his song, and today he is back making the music he loves and that he showcased during the event.
The CEO of Siskin Hospital, Robert P. Main, addressed the group and thanked all the patients for sharing their stories.
“At Siskin, we don’t hear the words ‘I can’t do that,’” he said. “What we hear is ‘What is my next goal that I can achieve to aim toward that road of independence?’ When I see the determination and accomplishments of people like Megan and Chuck, I am reminded of our success.”
Main also said that the heart and soul of Siskin is the staff, whose daily work and encouragement of patients to succeed is invaluable.
Unum has sponsored every Possibilities Luncheon, and continued support this year with an additional $5,000 donation to the Siskin patient assistance fund and a $5,000 donation in recognition of Bonnie St. John’s accomplishments to the adaptive sports organization she has a strong relationship with and that provides winter and summer activities for those with special needs.
After having her leg amputated at age five, St. John overcame a mountain of obstacles to become a Rhodes Scholar, former White House official, successful businesswoman and author, and the first African American ski medalist.
St. John has relentlessly sought ways to stay positive and live joyfully no matter what life dishes out, and her deep sense of peace and joy in life has inspired millions of people to seek what she has learned. St. John’s determination and winning spirit led her to Innsbruck, Austria, where she won silver and bronze medals as a ski racer in the 1984 Paralympics. She also graduated with honors from Harvard University and won a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford. Later she was appointed to the White House National Economic Council and has worked tirelessly as a disability advocate.She has been featured on “The Today Show”, “Montel Williams”, ‘CNN”, “Good Morning America’, as well as People Magazine, The New York Times, Essence, and many others.
St. John’s message of falling down and getting up-in life, at an Olympic ski race or in business, has been sought after by CEOs, recognized in the White House, celebrated on a Starbucks cup, and honored with a doctoral degree for her lifetime commitment to motivating people.
During St. John’s speech, she recognized how much she took to heart the words that Evans said during the video that his goal was “just to become as much of the man as before the accident as I can be.” Remembering her own rehabilitation after her amputation at age five, St. John says the Siskin Hospital gym gives patients an opportunity to make their body healthy despite not being able to attend a regular gym.
She also said that even though the rehabilitation work she did was unpleasant and she was not fond of her physical therapist at the time for her continued pushing, she thanks her for her efforts in helping St. John become who she is now. St. John’s rehabilitation and becoming an athlete has allowed her to know that she is more than her body, she said, and she gets this feeling again from the work she sees Siskin Hospital doing.
“The feeling I get is that the people at Siskin are not looking at your limits, they are looking at empowering you to go as far as you can go and do what you want to do. That’s the spirit that creates a life like mine,” St. John said.
Siskin Hospital is a non-profit agency and depends on help from the community.
To make a secure, tax-deductible donation to Siskin Hospital, visit www.siskinrehab.org or call 423-634-1208.