My Life with David

By Ray Cosette

David was a young college student who bravely faced a life of hardships. Born with spina bifida, his life was not an easy one. Every day was a battle against pain, depression, and physical limitations. Ray Cosette tells David's story in an account that shines a light on the realities of living with a major birth defect. As his caregiver, Ray was

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ray Cossette
• Release date: Apr 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9798985569360

Book preview

My Life with David

The True Story of How A

Wheelchair-Bound Student Taught

A Vietnam Veteran The Sanctity of

Life

Ray Cossette

My Life with David: The True Story of How a Wheelchair-Bound Student Taught A Vietnam Veteran The Sanctity of Life

© 2022 by Ray Cosette

All rights reserved solely by the author. The author guarantees all contents are original and do not infringe upon the legal rights of any other person or work. No part of this book are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Printed in the United States

of America. ISBN-13:

DoMore Books

Dale City, VA

Dedication:

This book is dedicated to my friend, David. He was an inspiration and taught me the value and sanctity of human life. My hope is that through his story, many others will be inspired to value all lives, especially the unborn.

Acknowledgements:

A big thank you for my friends who proofread this book. They are Hector Martin, Sally Knipe, my wife Patty and Dr. Craig Cain and of course, Joshua Finley with Do More Books.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Reflections

- The U of A

- Combat to the Classroom

Chapter Two: A Man named David

- More Than Just a Roommate

- Meeting David

Chapter Three: The Day-to-Day

- What No One Saw

- Working Through It All

Chapter Four: Complications

- Hospital Stays

- Worsening Condition

Chapter Five: A Courageous Fight

- The ICU

- Facing Eternity

Final Thoughts: David’s Legacy

Introduction

Life is a sacred concept. When you read Scripture, nothing on this earth received the full blessing of God but humankind. The breath of life that He blessed Adam with lives on in every man, woman, and child.

This is the same for those who are born into poverty or wealth, with or without a loving family, and with or without a disability. In our world, there is a fight to make the notion of life something that is less than valuable. The lives of people may be altered by things like disabilities, disorders, or diseases, but they are nonetheless the lives of people who are valuable to their Creator. Without a respect for the sanctity that is inherent in all human life, there is no respect for the right for every person to live and breathe as they see fit. Not all lives are independent, self-sufficient ones.

There are cases brought up in every debate that are on life-support, not yet born, or are in the worst parts of a terrible battle with cancer.

From my days working in an ICU, I have seen cases that most people don’t get the privilege or the burden of witnessing, where life is instantly ripped away from an individual or is changed from the expectation of many more years to practically none left in just a moment. I remember seeing the look in the eyes of many when terrible news is delivered or when the results of a test come back disappointing, and they suddenly come to grips with their mortality or that of a loved one. The shock that is on their faces, the looks of disbelief as they enter the stages of grief is almost uniform across the human experience. They take

what time they have left as something that has so much value to it, for the most part. To me, this tells of how valuable life is to them. No matter what their opinion or their beliefs or background may be, they see it as a gift to them. There’s no doubt in my mind that deep in their hearts, most would consider life to be a sanctified and wonderful thing. Through my life, I have wanted to show others the beauty of God’s creation, humankind.

We’ve each been touched deeply by at least one major person in our life. For every person alive, I think that there is at least one figure who stepped into their life and changed it so drastically that they were never able to be the same again. For me, this was David. He was to me both a friend and a life lesson in humility, love, and the sanctity of life itself. My friend David was a man who faced some of the harshest decisions and the most painful circumstances of any person that I know, yet he faced both life and death with the same courage that I saw displayed by troops on the battlefield. I remember him as someone who not only had courage and strength of character, but who also had a love and respect for others. His life showed me the way that anyone, no matter their circumstance both treats others and wants to be treated in return.

He was God’s creation and was made just as fearfully and wonderfully as any other person on this earth.

Through his life and his legacy, you can see the