Four weeks ago Carson was in a tragic accident where he broke his neck leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. When I first heard the news, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My younger brother was paralyzed? The first image that came into my mind was one of him doing high kicks, usually in mockery or when making fun. He was always so active...so animated. To think that he had lost his full mobility-- something most of us take for granted--broke my heart.
The first time I got to talk with Carson I braced myself for the worst. I fully expected him to be in need of physical, emotional, and spiritual support. What I experienced instead was something that I will never forget. My younger brother smiled over the top of the neck brace, tubing threading from his nose, and triumphantly showed me that he could move his arms. How could I not cry? His movements were comparatively jerky, and he had no fine motor movements in his hands. He said he couldn't feel anything from the chest down...but that he would rather break his neck ten times over than have to have his feeding tube done over again. Where I had expected to see someone in the depths of tragedy, I instead saw a bright and shining soul, defiantly ready to face whatever the future held for him. He was even making jokes!
I heard from my mother that within the first days following his injury, Carson said something along the lines of "Who needs legs to love?" That single line sums Carson's personality up pretty well. Everyone who knows my younger brother can attest to his astounding love of life and everyone in it. Carson has a disarming and reassuring presence that simply makes you smile. To me he embodies what humans strive for; to live a life filled with courage, love, patience, and belief. He is out to change the world, and nothing will slow him down. He touches the lives of everyone he comes into contact with...and continues to do so.
It has only been four weeks since his accident, but in that time Carson's friends have created this blog that has received hundreds of visitors. He receives letters nightly from people around the world. But what is most astounding is the motivation behind the blog. Carson uses the blog to not only catalogue his journey through his recovery, but more importantly to show the world that anything can be overcome through hard effort and belief. He is a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and shares his faith and hope through his words and actions. Where many would lose their faith or renew it following adversity, Carson maintains and bolsters not only his own, but those around him in the midst of tragedy. He balances personal belief with personal desires, and yet has found a way to keep equilibrium between the two without sacrificing the other.
Words cannot express the love that I have for my younger brother. I don't know to what degree he will recover his physical aptitude, but regardless, Carson is the same man he has always been, if not greater. Carson has always shown us that love is the most important thing in life, and he continues to show that by giving his love to everyone he meets. If anyone can overcome something of this magnitude its Carson Jack Tueller, but what truly makes Carson special is the fact that I know his hopes, dreams, prayers, and efforts will be focused on the people he loves instead of on himself. Sometimes tragedy is simply opportunity disguised...it just depends on whether we have the bravery to look beneath the veneer. My younger brother has that bravery, and he in turn shares it freely with those around him.
Braun Tueller
