From ABC News:
We like hearing stories like Mr. Otto's because we want to believe that if we suffer some terrible injury that our courage and hard work and the grace of God will allow us to recover but we're wrong. Whether we recover mostly has to do with the nature of our injury rather than factors attributable to ourselves. We'd like to believe that we can control what happens but we can't.
The instinct to believe that we can recover from injury or illness is a real problem for those who suddenly become disabled. People think recovery is right around the corner despite strong signs that they're not recovering. They fail to take appropriate action to try to secure an income for themselves -- applying for Social Security disability benefits -- even as their financial situation rapidly deteriorates. They regard themselves as failures when they finally have to concede that they aren't recovering. Why can't they transcend their injuries like Mr. Otto did? What "right stuff" did he have that they lack? This sense of failure contributes to depression which compounds the disability they suffer. Mr. Otto's story may seem inspirational but it's a positive menace to many people who have suffered serious injury.
Stories like Mr. Otto's also lead many people to believe that most who receive Social Security disability benefits aren't truly disabled, that they're people who could have transcended their injuries or illnesses and continued working if they really wanted to. If Mr. Otto could do it, why can't anyone? Disability isn't a real thing; it's just a lack of courage and hard work. If we have any type of disability benefits, it should only be for the most severely disabled because we don't want a bunch of lazy people abusing the system. Stories like Mr. Otto's are part of the reason why we got to the incredibly harsh system of disability benefits we have now.
By the way, in case Mr. Otto or some member of his family happens to read this, I'm not blaming you, for goodness sake. You're not the problem. The problem is everyone's very human but still pathetic urge to believe that we can overcome all injuries and illnesses when that's just not true.
Dean Otto of Charlotte, North Carolina, was riding his bike one humid morning in September 2016 when the unimaginable occurred: The husband, father and marathoner was struck by a truck.
His spine was fractured. His pelvis, tailbone and ribs were broken. And he could not feel his legs.
After surgery, Otto's surgeon Dr. Matt McGirt gave him a 1 percent to 2 percent chance of ever walking on his own again.
But, after months of grueling physical therapy, Otto was taking his first steps with the help of a walker. Slowly, he picked up speed, eventually climbing stairs and then running. ...
During Otto's rehabilitation, he was also visited in the hospital by Will Huffman, the driver of the truck. The two became friends.
Otto said today that forgiveness had been key to his recovery.
"To be able to forgive Will immediately after the accident has been paramount in my positive attitude, in my recovery from this terrible accident," he said. ...
Eventually, Otto invited Huffman and McGirt, with whom he'd formed a friendship as well, to run a half-marathon with him. Neither men had run in years but felt motivated by Otto's perseverance.
I'm glad that Mr. Otto recovered but I hate this kind of story. Mr. Otto's hard work and good attitude may have been some help in his recovery but mostly he just got lucky or, perhaps, his surgeon was a poor prognosticator. What about all the other people who suffer severe injuries and never recover? Is it because they didn't work as hard at recovery as Mr. Otto or because they weren't brave enough or because they lacked the grace that Mr. Otto showed in befriending the man responsible for his injury?On Sept. 24, a year to the day of the accident, the three completed the Napa Half Marathon in California. ...
We like hearing stories like Mr. Otto's because we want to believe that if we suffer some terrible injury that our courage and hard work and the grace of God will allow us to recover but we're wrong. Whether we recover mostly has to do with the nature of our injury rather than factors attributable to ourselves. We'd like to believe that we can control what happens but we can't.
The instinct to believe that we can recover from injury or illness is a real problem for those who suddenly become disabled. People think recovery is right around the corner despite strong signs that they're not recovering. They fail to take appropriate action to try to secure an income for themselves -- applying for Social Security disability benefits -- even as their financial situation rapidly deteriorates. They regard themselves as failures when they finally have to concede that they aren't recovering. Why can't they transcend their injuries like Mr. Otto did? What "right stuff" did he have that they lack? This sense of failure contributes to depression which compounds the disability they suffer. Mr. Otto's story may seem inspirational but it's a positive menace to many people who have suffered serious injury.
Stories like Mr. Otto's also lead many people to believe that most who receive Social Security disability benefits aren't truly disabled, that they're people who could have transcended their injuries or illnesses and continued working if they really wanted to. If Mr. Otto could do it, why can't anyone? Disability isn't a real thing; it's just a lack of courage and hard work. If we have any type of disability benefits, it should only be for the most severely disabled because we don't want a bunch of lazy people abusing the system. Stories like Mr. Otto's are part of the reason why we got to the incredibly harsh system of disability benefits we have now.
By the way, in case Mr. Otto or some member of his family happens to read this, I'm not blaming you, for goodness sake. You're not the problem. The problem is everyone's very human but still pathetic urge to believe that we can overcome all injuries and illnesses when that's just not true.
10 comments:
We know that Mr. Otto gets a newspaper story because he's the exception to the rule.
Also, no sympathy by some who say he has no business riding his bike on the road with cars/trucks; but that's another story.
"What "right stuff" did he have that they lack?"
If you have to ask, you don't have it.
Thanks for this posting! I loathe "inspirational" stories like this just for the reasons you described. And if you have an "invisible" disability, good luck with anyone believing the medical issues you cope with daily.
I especially get real tired of all the amputees completing marathons, etc. They still have functional hearts and lungs. Try that with severe asthma (the kind that's bad enough to get you on SSD). I'm glad they can do what they do, but if your have poor lung or heart function, it is unlikely that you can accomplish that level of physical achievement. Yeah, I know there are exceptions, but spending days in intensive care after "running" is not proving that you've "overcome" your disability.
1:14 definitely does not have the "right stuff", but has managed to say the most reprehensible thing I have read on this blog.
Mr. Otto's story is nice, but he was also in a better position than most of my clients. He had a supportive family and probably good insurance that provided access to excellent physical therapy. For all we know, he could have had a temporary disability insurance policy with his job. When my clients get hurt, they are worried about keeping a roof over their heads and can't figure how they're going to get to a doctor let alone physical therapy. It is difficult to have a positive attitude when you have absolutely nothing to be positive about.
This is just another example of the media's obsession with "perseverance porn." This type of story--similar to the "this old dude has been walking 5 miles each way to his minimum wage job for 20 years, even during hurricanes and blizzards! Look at his dedication!"--only exists story that makes us revere the extraordinary effort poor people have to expend to survive the terrible material conditions they are faced with thanks to our lovely capitalist system or else we would be focusing on the system itself and how it puts so many of us in such crappy situations.
Don't fall for it. Admire this guy's courage or whatever, sure, but focus on all the folks Charles mentions that simply cannot persevere through their health or economic burdens and get no meaningful assistance from our perverse system.
I like, not hate, inspirational stories because they testify to the hope which I do not see in many of my clients despite my attempts to help them find some. It is nice that the world does not squash everyone and everyone does not respond similarly to adversity. Life seems more La Calavera Catrina than polly anna; but sometimes nice, is nice and thank heaven for the Mr. Otto's of the world who do not diminish me.
You nailed it. I get disability but am not like Mr. Otto. When I applied, I had a good friend who had the attitude you described. Ugh. I don't speak to that person any more.
There is an alj who tells claimants with multiple back surgeries to read a book to get rid of the back pain and who tells claimants who are mentally ill and can hardly go out of their house to read a book on how to breathe. its kind of amazing to watch a judge try to practice medicine
Those that do not like these stories may just be feeling guilty.
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