From desperation to inspiration

My name is Erik Gholson Williams and I am a young man with two beautiful daughters that was critically injured in a car accident in 1997 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Currently I am in training to bicycle from Ground Zero New York City cross country to Los Angeles California in 2012. The beautiful thing about this journey is that I will be using a hand propelled bicycle. The car accident or what I now refer to as my “blessing” left me as a C6-7 Quadriplegic. I’m also an aspiring filmmaker, and graduate at Cal-State University Northridge in 2009. I believe my venture is a wonderful opportunity to not only bicycle across America but to use the medium of film to document it and truly inspire others. My story is one of tragedy, doubt, despair, courage, belief, humility, and triumph.

I am paralyzed from the chest down I do have the use of my arms. Although I had to overcome many challenges physically the greatest challenges were mental. Imagine playing a few games of basketball and football at the beach with a good friend. Then waking up after being in a coma for three weeks and the first words you hear are “You’re paralyzed and you may never have the functions of your arms or legs again.” Well, that is my story. I am grateful that I was able to play hoops and a little football the last day of my walking experience and that I lived through the accident to breathe life again.

I was hospitalized for almost a year. I tell people I was in shock for at least a year. I went into a deep depression for many months. When I hit my deepest darkest moment is when I ended up in a nursing home. I couldn’t believe that I was 26 years old, paralyzed and living in a nursing home. I was like, “Wow this is how I am going to live the rest of my life.” I got down to 95 pounds and hope was fading quickly. Then my mother called me from California and said, “Erik you’re moving to Los Angeles and going to a great facility for spinal cord rehab, Rancho Los Amigos.” I was at Rancho for three months. Then from there I went to a program called “New Start Homes” founded by Mary Williams. The focus for the New Start program is to help get you back into the community. The program truly opened my eyes and taught me so much. I now live with a roommate in an apartment in the city.

In the last 10 years I have been rebuilding my life. A big part of the why I could rebuild my life was because of assistance from government programs like Social Security Disability and In-Home Supportive Services. There were other programs in place so I could get assistance to go to college, like financial aid. I realize in any other country I wouldn’t have the same opportunities. So I decided after I graduated from Cal-Sate University Northridge that I wanted to say “thanks” to our government and give back to them. I decided that I would ride across America raise money for children that lost their parents or have been critically injured in the recent wars. The monies raised will go to a scholarship program so when they are ready for college the monies will be there. I’m a father of two daughters who have given me the strength to not only rebuild my life but to realize the blessings in my life.