Finding Forward: You Have the Will Within

When Jeffrey Morse visited his doctor on an ordinary day in 2012, he could not have imagined that what began as a headache would swiftly spiral into an aneurism, a dissected artery, and a spinal stroke. The old Jeffrey–a flight engineer, Air Force reservist, and avid scuba diver–died on the operating table that day. The new Jeffrey awoke from surgery paralyzed from the neck down. But Jeffrey had never been the sort to give up. Despite immense pain, depression, anxiety, and doctors who claimed he would never recover, he swore he would walk out of that hospital. Through rigorous therapy, determination, optimism, humor, and support, he not only accomplished that goal but has since recovered the use of nearly all his muscles and gone on to greater adventures than ever. Trauma and disability manifest in many forms, and isolation and despair can overwhelm. Although life may never be the same as it was before, it is possible to survive setbacks and learn new ways to adapt, adjust, and thrive. Join Jeffrey on his inspiring journey, and learn how he found his way forward to a new life.