20 years later, paralysis still can't stop Jack Rushton

When 70-year-old Jack Rushton writes an observation of his life, his intended audience is his children and grandchildren. After all, each observation is lovingly signed "Dad/Grandpa/Jack."

But thanks to the Internet, e-mail forwards and word of mouth, Jack's astute, witty observations reach a readership as diverse as Ghana, Australia and Belgium.

It's an impressive achievement for anyone, but especially for a man who, after a debilitating accident 20 years ago, was left a quadriplegic and completely reliant on a wheelchair and respirator.

He was not even expected to speak again, let alone live life so fully.

"I am able to write and hopefully influence others, especially my family, for good," said Rushton, who has used voice recognition software to compose more than 200 observations since 2003 (His blog is called "Observations by Jack Rushton"). "When I am writing I feel creative and productive and totally forget that I am mobility impaired."

Rushton, of Tustin, Calif., was vacationing with his family along the coast in the summer of 1989. He was body surfing with his son, John, and was swept by a wave into a rock or sand bar. The impact broke his neck and damaged his spinal cord.

At the hospital, doctors informed the shocked and devastated Rushtons that their beloved husband, father and grandfather was permanently paralyzed.

But a blessing from the late Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, coupled with the Rushton family's undaunted determination, made all the difference. They adopted an attitude of gratitude and anticipation for tender experiences to come.

In an interview with the Ensign magazine in 1994, Rushton committed to celebrating the anniversary of his accident as a new birthday, or as the beginning of a new chapter in his life.

"I did OK in my past life, so I plan to do OK in my new life," he said in the interview.

Aug. 1, 2009, was the 20th anniversary of Rushton's new life, and it's safe to say he has done more than "OK." Since the accident, he was been exercising his active, alert mind.

"I learned within days after my accident that any quality of life I would have from that point on would be centered in the mind and the spirit," he said.

Rushton compared it to leaving mortality and entering the spirit world — having to, in essence, leave his functioning physical body behind.

"Yet my mind was consumed by cherished truths I think maybe I had taken for granted for much of my life," he said. "They brought great peace of mind to me and helped me to deal with a future that looked black and almost impossible to comprehend."

Rushton said it took him about five years to adjust to his condition, to the necessity of life support. Even after that, it took much more than a positive mental attitude to face his new challenges.