The Real Tom Jones

This book is a must read for anyone suddenly faced with such a lifestyle change. Pulitzer Prize winning film critic Roger Ebert The book describes the author's life using a wheelchair from the time the bullet went though his spine at the age of six to the present over 60 years later. While the focus tells of the successes and failures of a person who has a strong desire to excel despite not being able to walk it also details many of the advancements in rehabilitation since 1943. With as many as 10000 persons in this country suffering spinal cord injuries each year the author feels some in the medical profession have no idea how to properly treat and care for this kind of long-term injury. The author gives advice to persons with spinal cord injuries that he hopes will allow them to live a full and rewarding life. He also talks with parents and caregivers about the importance of making the newly injured individual aware that the wheelchair is only as limiting as the person wants it to be. The book describes in great detail his relationship and marriage for 44 years to a woman who also uses a wheelchair.