News Search

My life was changed forever

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Anthony Huling
  • 20th Equipment Maintenance Squadron
My life was changed forever February 11, 2011.

It was a Friday. I was glad to be getting off work, because I was going to be on leave for the next two weeks.

Around 5 p.m., my friend, Chris, texted me and asked if I wanted to come over to his house. Since my wife was taking my daughter over to a friend's house, I decided to go.

When I arrived, he was in his garage building a paint booth for his motorcycle. So, I started helping him out. We were working and having some drinks. Somewhere around 10:30 p.m., we decided to take his motorcycle for a spin.

We headed out of our neighborhood and turned onto Fish Road.

It was only about a half mile before we veered off of the road.

The next thing I remember is waking up in a helicopter. It felt like a bad dream. I asked the EMT where I was and what happened. They told me that I had been in a motorcycle accident and I was being airlifted to the hospital. I was told that we were driving between 80 and 120 mph.

Chris and I were thrown about 100 feet from the cycle. There were several bones broken in my back and road rash on my forehead, back, chest, stomach, knees, ankles and toes. I now have nerve damage in both arms.

Chris was not as lucky. He has severe head trauma and some broken ribs. He is also currently in a coma and is not responding.

I can only hope and pray that he will wake up.

Our selfish act affected our family, friends and co-workers.

When his wife heard us leave she got in her car to go and find us. She was passed by an ambulance heading out and followed. She arrived on the scene to see us lying on the asphalt.

She rushed back to my house to get my wife. Luckily, my oldest daughter was spending the night at a friend's house.

Chris just recently married, and his wife is 16 weeks pregnant. We had to postpone my youngest daughter's second birthday party.

Most people don't get a second chance in life. I would have never made this mistake if I had not been drinking.

I thought I had a safe plan.

But, that all fell apart because I could not make any responsible decisions after I started drinking.

I pray that none of you will ever have to go through something like this. The world does not look the same as it did before the accident. Only by God's grace am I alive and able to tell this story.