Henry Dared to Live

Henry J. Seiler was an energetic eleven year old who excelled at wrestling, and while he may have felt indestructible, he learned how fragile life was on a spring day in 1975 when he climbed on the back of a friend’s motorcycle. Minutes later, he was lying in a crumpled heap and being rushed to a hospital in nearby Des Moines, Iowa, where he spent forty-five days in a coma. Doctors told his family and friends that they didn’t expect him to live. But Henry—even in his comatose state—thought otherwise, and he dared to live. With the same strong-willed determination he exhibited as a wrestler, he awakened from his coma and fought to overcome his physical challenges. Henry encourages us to handle life as it comes, working through every day as if it were any other day. Abiding by his motto, “I know where I am going, and I know what it takes to get there,” was his key to success. No matter what challenges you’re facing—even if you’re flat on your back and staring at the ceiling tiles—you can find the will to succeed and come out a winner by learning from Henry.