Paul’s Bio | Dixie Coskie

My Point Of View

By Paul Coskie, age 16, 2004

To this day, I still believe the accident that occurred on September 6, 2001, has an effect on my attitude and views on life. It definitely proved to me that life is delicate. Though I have seensome hard times, doctors and therapists really helped me through my hardship. I know too, that I never could have come so far without the help of my family.

The first stages of my consciousness I do not remember very well. I do remember feeling that most everyone now thought of me as less of a person. People coming in and talking to me as if I were a baby really got me down for a while. My best friend, who had awakened me from my coma, was always a great motivational support. He never doubted that I was stronger than that car and that I could come out of that haze of injury just fine; that’s why Thomas my cousin was still talking to me and telling me jokes when I was fully unconscious. Not everyone can say that a scab joke saved his or her life; I woke up laughing.

Coming back to my hometown was very difficult after I was in the hospital for so long. Everyone was nice to me and all, friendly, but I could easily see past that. After I got used to being around so many people again, I could tell most of my peers were just almost mocking me by being so friendly. Because I was feeling this, I lost a lot of trust in them, and as they realized I was not as gullible as I was in the past, a lot of them lost interest in being around me. I can say I was never the most popular person before this anyway, and I am glad to have the few but real friends that stood by me.

As far as my education, I never really felt that people had given up on that. I also never forgot that an education was essential for my larger goals in life. My high school accommodated the classes that needed to be, to help me. I still believe that an education is vital to the life of ease I hope to one day live.

I do not believe the accident has changed me too much. It surely has changed the way people look at me. There are still some people who treat me differently than they did before my accident. It may be lack of belief that I will ever be the same, or maybe it is my self-confidence that simply scares them away.

Paul walked to podium to receive his high school diploma taking steps once deemed impossible by doctors.

Paul is a dynamic speaker who helps national preventive organizations to promote helmet awareness and bicycle safety.

TBI Years Later

Through years and years of occupational, speech, and physical therapies, Paul regained enough movement, balance, and coordination to no longer need his wheelchair. Then he no longer needed his walker. And eventually, he was able to take steps that doctors had deemed impossible, walking independently to the podium to receive his high-school diploma. At the time of graduation Paul was also battling a new diagnosis–cancer, leukemia, CML. Paul, survived a bone marrow transplant and more years of struggle and uncertainty. Today Paul is in remission.

Paul has become a dynamic speaker for national preventive organizations bringing awareness to childhood cancer and traumatic brain injury. Paul also gives talks to promote helmet awareness and bicycle safety.

Paul has fought to gain parts of his life back and has maintained and lost jobs, encountered girl friends and lived independently in his own apartment while attending a special higher education program in the big city, learning the transit system to get to his classes and internships. Paul James Coskie is now doing the “normal” thing, living back at home with his parents and like every other kid in America looking for employment…

Q&A with Paul Coskie

Q:Let's start with your question about my perception on life before all this. Before my traumatic brain injury on the sixth of September 2001, I was pretty carefree, or careless. I'm a young teen, mainly just trying to show everyone that I was pretty chill in my childish kind of way

A:That day, my friends and I were fooling around with paintball in the war kind of sense. Then right before we left my house on our bikes, we were going off my steep four-foot bike jump. We were jumping over each other. We had such a good trust in one another. Both of my activities that day were of a risky nature. That day I felt invincible...

Q: Now let's check on your specific questions...Were you scared when you woke from your coma?

A:I honestly woke up laughing. I didn't remember the crash, but I remember that it was a funny joke that woke me … and I did keep a funny/goofy attitude while I was in the hospital.

Q:How did you feel about the World Trade Center as you lay in bed?

A:I did know about it, only occasionally. Once my memory recovered to the point where I could remember the story for more than ten minutes, I was both aggravated at the world and trying to look past it and focus on my own problems.

Q:Were you fearful that you would never regain your old self?

A:I am almost annoyed by the fact that you would ask that; I thought you would understand my stubborn approach already. I never doubted myself and I kept a strong will through it all.

Q:Were you worried about what people thought of you?

A:I really did not like thinking about “other people,” because I knew they were in better condition than me. But I knew that pretty soon I would be back, similar to them in ways they could not understand.

Q:I need to know more about your feelings toward your mom, constantly pointing a video camera at you and how your relationship with her went during the recovery stage?

A:She did get very annoying in the sense that I did not want to remember any part of the hospital. And being constantly taped would be like a photographic memory. My memory back then was horrible, and I knew that I would soon forget everything. I wanted to.

Q:Who was special in your recovery, who did you really get close to, who did you trust?

A:I always have felt close to my family and indirect family. My mom and dad were always there for me, no matter what. It was an unconditional love. The people I feel that I was close too during my hospitalized days ranged. There were many nurses I knew and joked with, like this one male nurse who constantly made this Hawaiian sign with his hand. I found that amusing, so a friendship developed there. I also got to know my therapists in a friendly, cool way, too. I used to call my physical therapist --- “the torture queen!”

Q:Tell me about the talks you do at schools. Why do you do them? What is your message to other kids or adults, what can they learn from your experience?

A:I believe that I can warn anyone about carelessness from my first-hand mistakes. I can explain that even when you have been doing something for years, you never should forget common safety. Wear a helmet!

Paul Coskie

My Point Of View

Q&A with Paul Coskie

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