So talk to us about what it takes to really come to terms with the reality of our lives as it is now.

Well, obviously, it's not something you could describe in one sentence.

It takes a long time to adjust to a situation that I had to adjust to.

and i had to change my perspective on a lot of things about my life constantly throughout the last number of years i might begin by saying before my injury i was always very physically active and physically con you know um physically conducted my whole life around doing something physical When I was a senior in high school, I played on the varsity football team, the varsity wrestling team, three different softball leagues, and worked during the summer as a lifeguard.

So I was always doing something active.

In college, I was playing on Cornell University's lightweight football team at the time that I had my spinal cord injury in 1970.

And I found that participating in sports was a great way to relieve the stress of my life before my injury.

What do you want us human beings to talk more about with each other that we're not talking about?

So, Ken, can you kind of run through a typical day as a father when your boys were growing up?

Well, you know, having triplets, my wife was certainly incredibly busy, but she was also my caregiver.

And I was responsible for my wife's care for all my physical needs each day.

So at a very early age, my wife and I tried to help them become more independent.

to not have to rely on us for their daily needs as much as handling it not only by themselves, but helping each other.

So they learned at a very early age what teamwork meant and how each of them had to help each other and that there was really no sense of competitiveness between the three of them.

They worked together as a team and did their best to help each other every step of the way.

So tell me about your book.

After that particular life-threatening injury, can you tell us what gave you that determination to return back to Conway and continue education?

Well, while I was in the rehabilitation facility, the doctors, the medical professionals, seemed very reluctant to tell me a lot about my condition.

But they had published a pamphlet indicating a lot of different aspects of spinal cord injury.

And when I was reviewing it, it seemed to be very accurate when it described the type of movement I may eventually have and where my level of sensation would be and how the injury would affect my bodily functions.

Now, it also had a page that indicated what types of careers you could eventually go into with your type of injury.

Now, I'm hurt between the fourth and fifth cervical in the neck, which is very high up.

And as a result, I have such limited movement that it did not appear that there'd be much that I'd ever be able to do.

So how was that transition like?

Can you take us back to that day, the day of the accident?

Okay, well, let me take you back one day before that.

On October 30th, 1970, that evening, I was actually together with a number of friends.

We decided to spend the evening together on the other side of Lake Cayuga in upstate Ithaca, New York.

And we all went together to the local IGA to shop for steak, corn, and pie.

And when we returned to the cabinet, the question was finally asked that should have been verbalized well before we did the shopping.

Who knows how to cook? And we're all guys and not many of us did, but I volunteered.

What did that career mean to you?

Then what happened?

Well, they took me to a few different hospitals because the hospital in Ithaca was not equipped to handle my type of injury.

But while I was there, they cut off my uniform.

Now, you mentioned how they improved helmets.

Well, one of the difficulties was taking off my helmet.

Because it was a very tight fitting helmet, as football helmets are.

And they had to be careful not to move my neck at all.

concern

Why was returning to Cornell University so important to

you? Well, I had made up my mind that I was determined not to let my injury prevent me from doing anything that I would have done had I not been injured.

And that included going back to the school that I had been studying at and completing the degree that I had started.

So I did my best to basically try and ignore my injury, act as if it didn't happen or was not going to limit me and do everything that I tried to do before my injury.

So it was very important to me to go back to Cornell.

And when I did, I did not have another plan as to what I would do if it didn't work out.

I was absolutely convinced I was going to make it work.

I think that's beyond impressive.

How did that happen? And what was the process that you went through psychologically? What was going on in your head?

Well, I remember talking to my Aunt Betty about what type of future I could have.

Could I ever even date or meet a young woman that I would ever fall in love with? And she kept reassuring me that not only was it possible, but that it would happen and that I shouldn't rule it out.

And as it turned out in my particular case, because I needed so much help, I used to have to advertise in the paper to attract people to become my personal care attendants.

Right.

And on a number of occasions, I had females working for me as my personal care aides.

And back in 2002, 2003, I hired a young woman named Anna who was absolutely incredible.

oh I know that and so what accommodations did you make to be to be a good father I'm sure you were but as somebody who can't move around on his own like what did you do how did you accommodate to all the necessities of loving kids and being a father and birthdays and Halloween I know that there was a special Halloween's there tell me a little bit about that