Wednesday's blog will be finished during Thursday's breakfast, but to tide our readers over until then, one of our team members, Jesse, shares the story of one of the gentlemen, John-Mark, he was able to meet while volunteering at Lutheran Services of Georgia today. John-Mark is another volunteer with LSG.
"Today I got to talk to a really interesting and eye opening individual. His name is John-Mark. He is a Multiple Sclerosis patient who's story is extremely humbling. He started off his story by telling us that he used to be a very cocky person. Just by looking at him, you could never have guessed it. He used to be very athletic and never wanted to ask for help. He became prideful in his independence. Sometime in his mid 30's John developed MS and became very depressed. He was so certain and afraid that he would end up in a chair that he decided he was interested in suicide. He never told anyone and thought of different ways to end his life whenever he found himself alone. He eventually did end up in a chair, but thankfully did not end up following through with his suicide. After, he was forced to depend upon others. John told us that he realized how backwards his life had been. Before, he wanted everyone to know about him and be the center of attention. Now, he wants to know everything about everyone else. He told us that he has been on both extremes because he used to be super cocky and now is very humble. He is trying to find a middle ground and its turning out to be a struggle. John told us that he now realizes how awesome just being with other people is. It's tough for him to get up in the morning, shower, deal with his chair, and, in general, deal with his MS. However, for him, it is all worth it. He feels energized after his volunteer sessions. He feeds off of everyone's energy and loves spending time around literally anyone."
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