Positivity in the hardest moments can make the difference. | Chris Khouri | TEDxHotelschoolTheHague

[Applause] just ten years ago a doctor came into the room and said in a complete matter-of-fact way Chris you'll never walk again my wife Sylvia and I hugged each other and we just cried for weeks earlier I had crashed my motocross in the desert of Dubai I had flown over the handlebar had fallen on my head I had broken my back had severed my spinal cord that broken most of my ribs I was airlifted from the desert by helicopter an immediate surgery I was transported finally to Holland by air ambulance some people saying I was having a bad day there's there's a certain finality to the words you will never walk again and at first I'm not sure I understand exactly what it meant for me not only didn't mean that nothing nothing below my chest would ever function properly again now my legs not my feet not any feeling no function no movement not mine nothing it also meant that I would be fighting infections and complications my whole life it meant that I would not be able to regulate my body temperature it meant that I would lose all control of my bladder and my bowels it meant that I would suffer chronic nerve pain and spasticity oh yeah and it meant as well that I would have a shorter lifespan I thought to myself oh come on all that all that and and forever I mean what did I win something it can't be all this and no no cure no therapy no hope I sure is someone somewhere something was trying to find a cure or a workaround a magical pill or a miracle for this or maybe maybe there's an app for it let the medium try and Alex I'll make me walk again are you serious do you honestly think I can make you walk again who do you think I am come on Chris you promised to ask me an easy question I don't want to talk to you anymore I I the door I think she's just angry because I didn't say please I actually use the LexA the whole time and I love it because you know it allows me it's a technology that allows me to switch off the lights or change music without having to get off my lazy bum it allows me to call someone in case of emergency when I one of the many times that I find myself on the floor but it's clear that tonight she's not going to help me walk again plenty of people will and it's just so much research taking place these things take for example the people who are trying to mend to repair the spinal cord through stem cell research I it's true that not enough is known about how stem cells work and it's true that there's a lot of internet noise that creates totally unrealistic expectations but the theory or though in its infancy is very promising or maybe look at the guys the teams who are read the researchers who are trying to find a way around the injured area they have proven they have shown that the spinal cord has the capacity to recover given the right combination of epidural stimulation so that's like a device that the implant in the back of the of the patients and that gives electrical signals to certain parts of the lower spinal cords so epidural stimulation an ongoing physiotherapy scheme as well as the intent to step so a lot of brain to to to to body connections and it works and it works and it has already allowed some of the individuals who are participating in this research program to stand up to recover some functions and some feeling and for some of them even to independently walk as eager as well I mean seriously that's amazing isn't it or look at the example of the people who are trying to cure paralysis through by researching how robotics artificial intelligence brain to machine interface can help create movement or leverage on existing strength I'm sure you've all seen those robotic suits and the exoskeletons and they're getting better lighter more efficient every single day and whilst at 75,000 euros they're neither affordable nor practical for outdoor use yet they will be soon I think what's clear is that whatever the solution will be it won't be easy it will require surgery it will require a lot of time hundreds and hundreds of hours of physiotherapy and unlimited funds but it will happen it will happen thanks to the groundbreaking efforts of researchers such as the ones that you know the University of Louisville the UCLA and the the Mayo Clinic it will happen thanks to the incredible efforts of charities and fundraisers such as the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and their wings for life world run there's there's never been more hope it's simple there's never been more hope for the estimated 16 million 60 million people who live with paralysis today for the 250,000 people plus who every year get a spinal cord injury there's never been more hope in terms of survival rates in terms of life expectancy in terms of independence and quality of life there's never been more progress in terms of care and the equipment that's available and we haven't seen as much activities or sport facilities as we've seen today in reality it's it's a it's a fantastic time to be disabled today with with everything that's available I with the technology the tools I Drive a normal car i hook up my hand bike my ebike to to my wheelchair and and go hand bike around town I transfer onto a racing hand psycho and go for long rides across the country I just special wheelchair that allows me to kind of stand up straight and talk to people at high level in the bar I travel independently I do any sports that I can and and partake in every crazy adventure that comes my way to the great despair of my wife however back then fresh after my accident while still lying in my bed completely paralyzed unable to move but my but my arms confusing and in terrible pain I did not know what to do or what to think and I honestly thought that technology was the only thing that could help me I did not know it was truly important yet and then an incredible thing happened amidst the chaos and the confusion and the pain one simple but magical thing happened I smiled and as I smile Silvia smiled as well and people around me smiled and we laughed and we're at reacted normally we spoke about the future you see just because I was positive the only thing that was different is that I had a positive attitude the only thing that was different is that I had chosen early on that I was not going to let myself be demoralized that I was not going to dwell into victimhood and I was not going to feel sorry for myself and people felt it and as people felt it they stopped looking at the wheelchair they stopped seeing me as a sick handicapped person they saw me as Chris as me and I made all difference I was being treated like a human again with dignity and I loved it you see that's the power of a positive attitude that that is the power of the contagious the contagious power of humor and positivity that's also when I decided that I I couldn't I wasn't going to let my accident define me it's what I wanted is what I did afterwards I wanted my my attitude I wanted my actions to define who I really was so I rushed out of rehab and went straight on to work and that was rewarding Silvia encouraged me of for you guys that's forced me in marriage lingo Silvia encouraged me to go full-on back into social life and that was empowering my friends introduced me to all kind of new sport and/or sports and dragged me along on their bike rides and their runs and their swims before I knew it I was signing into every single run and and marathon that there was available I was joining on long bike rides and doing triathlons and that was invigorating and it's by doing everything by doing all this by by being in middle of it that I realized that this was for me what made a big difference for me that was my cure for me that wasn't better than any technology that was that was for me my my walking moment I I had a family I have a wife I have two children I have friends I wanted I wanted to take responsibility for my life I wanted to accept this change not as something difficult but as an opportunity to push beyond all limits and what I especially wanted to do I wanted to make sure that I continue to live a fulfilling life in spite of all the inconveniences of my paralysis I wanted to continue dreaming big and I wanted to conjoin I'd even even when it wasn't the one that I had initially envisioned and don't get me wrong it's it's not always easy my life my life is not without very lonely painful frustrating and dark hours and just just the other day when I was feeling down when I felt things was so bad that I I just didn't want to fight anymore I started listening to all those little lies in my head the ones that said that I'm not good enough the ones that said that I will never get better that I will never be strong enough the ones that say that I'm a drain on my family and that I don't add any value that night the night I said to Sylvia that I felt that that her life would be easier without me she paused and look me in' and she said it would be easier but it wouldn't be better I remind myself of this every time I feel that life is unfair or unjust that I just don't have the energy or or the willpower to face the day or get out of bed I say I remind myself that I'm strong but that my strength doesn't only come from inside of me it also comes from the loving from the inspiring people that I choose to surround myself with I'm conscious that my positive energy is not only fueled by my thoughts but my positive energy is fueled by my actions and I have to work hard and I have to work even harder and I'll never have to stop working hard even when you know that there is no immediate rewards technologies such as the exoskeleton and epidural stimulation will one day facilitate my movement but I will not and I cannot wait for them all my life my cure comes from within and whatever comes in my path I can't let it beat me or I can deal with it I've made my choice out I'll deal with it thank you [Applause]

Channel: TEDx Talks

Views: 84,794

Keywords: TEDxTalks, English, Life, Behavior, Motivation, Pain, Personal growth, Positive Thinking, Self, Struggle, Surgery, Technology, Tragedy

Id: kIaooJSYLEg

Length: 17min 18sec (1038 seconds)

Published: Mon Nov 26 2018