Charlie's Quest

by Donald Davis

We all dream about what we want to do for the rest of our life. We plan,
train and work hard as we develop our skills in our chosen field.
But what happens if a catastrophic illness or accident suddenly takes
away all our physical abilities? This is what happened to Charlie, a man
that author Don Davis cared for as an orderly back in 1967. Charlie’s
attitude and outlook on life were so positive, so optimistic, that he made
an indelible impression on the young Don Davis and has continued to
inspire him even to this day.
Charlie, a big, strong truck owner and driver, falls asleep at the wheel and
crashes his eighteen-wheeler. He falls asleep a whole person and wakes
up paralyzed from the neck down. The job prospects for quadriplegics
are dismal but Charlie persists, even though his fellow quadriplegic
roommates refuse to focus on rebuilding their futures. Surrounded by
defeatism and depression, Charlie will not be deterred.
This story is about the strength of the human spirit when faced with
apparently insurmountable obstacles. Charlie’s Quest takes you on a
journey like no other.

Donald Davis

Don Davis cared for the disabled for three years in the Manitoba Rehabilitation Hospital. Over the past twenty-five years he served in various management positions in the Canadian banking industry and the Canadian pharmaceutical industry, and spent the last eight years of his career in senior management in the Canadian food industry. In 1996 Don became physically disabled with trigeminal neuralgia, recognized for causing the worst pain known to humanity. It is also nicknamed the “Suicide Disease.” He is a devoted husband, father and Christian.