( 8/16/2016) An Autism Dad celebrates “Life Plus 3” with Family:
* Today I celebrate “Life Plus 3”:
3 years ago I was thrown head-onto-the-highway at 70mph, with a 40,000 ft lb force.
“I died on the highway…only to come back and ‘try again’.”
This is my gift from a much greater power!
in an “Autism Family”, When you get “knocked down” – you get back up and “put your shoulder back into it,” sustaining and growing your family, once again.
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An Autism View of Life “Re-gifted”:
If you could “Live Again” what would you treasure in your life?
* My answer is: Live every moment connected to your Family and friends, and treasure every new memory, as seen through the eyes of your children, Wife/Spouse/Partner, and loved ones.
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My Story:
3 years ago, my motorcycle was floating through the mountains of New York, as I rode 400 miles to work on joint Traumatic Brain Injury/ PTSD Research with the Albany New York VA Medical Center.
Suddenly, my rear tire was slashed and came off of the motorcycle rim; it threw me headfirst over the windshield at 70mph, into the middle of a thundering herd of Semi-trucks, as they raced for the Canadian border. I landed headfirst on the highway with 40,000 foot pounds – strong enough to break one’s neck 50 times (over). A lifetime in Judo, from my early years in Okinawa – until today, taught my body to roll in a diagonal “hoop” – call Zenpo Kaiten.
Judo allowed me to (avoid) landing headfirst and breaking my neck…and every bone from the crown of my head to my feet.
The New York State Trooper who responded to my accident said ” yeah…that Judo stuff was pretty good; we were amazed that you were not ‘taken out’ by the crush of Semi-trucks, racing up the New York Thruway at ‘rush hour.'”
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Enter “My Second Life:”
* As I woke up to see semi-truck tires whizzing by my eyes, I thought “…I was gone and, now, I’m back. I get to watch Jared – my Eldest Son/our Computer Animator on the Autism Spectrum – graduate from college 6 months from now, after an 8 year campaign to earn his Bachelors Degree!”
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From birth until 5 were told that “..Jared is Autistic; he will (likely) never know you exist., even when you stand right in front of him!” Jared earned his Bachelors Degree – and he was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa Service Leadership Society – for work (while in Japan) to safeguard Persons with Autism and Disabilities during Tsunami and disasters; and to help returning Veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury/ PTSD – at national medical conferences.
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Ryan, our middle son and Middle Elder:
Laying on the New York Thruway, I thought; “…I get to watch Ryan come back from teaching at the National University of Laos (as one of the first Fulbright Scholars to help in Laos, since 1946)…and I get to watch him earn a Global Health Scholarship and to graduate in the top of his class in: “Global Disease and Epidemiology Control” at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He will go on to help save hundreds of thousands of lives and help girls and boys; women and men; Moms, Dads and families; farmers and city dwellers – from debilitating diseases, such as Dengue Fever and, now – Zika Virus.
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Nathan, our Youngest Son who overcame Health and Life Challenges – to help “Heal the World”:
Nathan overcame life threatening health challenges, and an Education System which said “…that kid is always sick; if you educate him (outside) of the school – he will not ‘count against us’ on the State Assessments of the High School!”
* Nathan was awarded the American Chemical Society “Outstanding Chemistry Student Award” from his research university, as he contributed to “Gold Nanoparticle Research for Delivery of Cancer Diagnostics and Therapy.”
Nathan graduated with a ‘perfect 4.0 / A Grade Point Average’ and he outscored the Valedictorian of his class, earning a Bachelors of Science in “Biochemistry/Molecular Biology with studies in Mandarin Chinese, and Philosophy.”
** Nathan is now. Research Fellow at the National Institutes of Health, Laboratory for Immunogenetics and Structural Immunology.
* Nathan will help to “Heal the World” (Tikkun Olam) as he contributes to research on: HIV, Tumors, Alzheimer’s and basic immunology research – to help future diagnosis and treatment of life-devastating illnesses.
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My “Life Plus 3” – is a gift from on-high. Now is the time to continue to share with Family, friends, and the world – as best I am able.
With Respect and Affection to Family and to Friends,
both those of Today, and those Yet to be Discovered,
Mayer Max, ( Okinawa / Maryland )
Ais4Autism , www.Ais4Autism.com
Mindknit Research Center , www.MindKnit.org
(C) 2016 Ais4Autism