Monday, January 16, 2012

Interview With Frankie: An Inspiring Soul

Today, I would like to share a very special interview with someone who I am honored to know.

Frankie LaMacchia.

For those of you who may have not read my initial post about this inspiring gentleman, you can find it here.

Last month, I had the immense pleasure of meeting Frankie in person, when we got better acquainted over a cup of coffee. During our one-hour chat, I asked Frankie if he would be willing to share his story via an interview on my blog, and he agreed.

As I’ve shared with you before, being in Frankie’s presence is like being surrounded by beacon of positive energy. You can’t help but feel that all is well in the world and that whatever challenges we encounter in our lives, we have the power to turn them around; transforming them into a learning experience.

*an excerpt from Frankie’s bio

“My name is Frankie LaMacchia. On December 6th 1998, I was faced with
the biggest challenge of my life. I was in a motorcycle accident that left me
paralyzed from just below the chest down. Of course in the beginning it
was extremely difficult but I had overwhelming support from my great
family and friends. I really didn’t have a chance to be depressed. I kept
saying to myself that somehow, some way I was going to get through this.
Here I am 12 years later exactly where I am supposed to be in life.”

Welcome Frankie! Thank you so much for agreeing to share this interview because my readers were extremely anxious to meet you.

*What were your immediate thoughts when you were told of your paralysis?

My immediate thoughts were that this wasn’t happening. Like I was in a dream. A dream that I couldn’t wake myself up from. I sustained so many injuries that it was really hard to comprehend what I was being told. After having 5 surgeries, a hematoma and blurred vision, it was like I had no control over my mind and body. The room was full of doctors, nurses, family and friends. I literally had no idea what was going on. The doctor comes walking in with a pin and starts to pinch me. He starts at the bottom of my feet and works his way up. He’s asking “can you feel this” “how about this”? Until finally, around my stomach area, I began to feel. Then he turns to me and tells me that due to my accident, I had sustained a spinal cord injury at the T-5 level which was from just below the chest down. He said that the chances of me walking again were unlikely and that I would be confined to a wheelchair. I was in complete shock. It’s like the life was sucked right out of me. I went completely numb. I started to tear up. It was the most devastating information an individual can receive. It’s like all that I thought life was about, totally changed in a blink of an eye. I wept for some time with my family. After all my family and friends telling me that I was going to beat this, I got this overwhelming strength and confidence that I was going to beat this. After the 3rd or 4th doctor came in, I was like, “yeah doc… I know… I’m not going to walk again. In my head I was saying, they don’t know me very well. I was going to get through this.

*Did you ever go through a period of anger or self-pity?

I honestly never felt any anger or pity. Believe me, it was extremely difficult to learn that your life was about to completely change. There were some long nights that I would lay there and cry and think that this can’t be happening. There were only a few and they didn’t last long. I had overwhelming support from my family and friends. I had the help of God and this inner voice that would always assure me that things were going to be ok.

*Please share about the support and love you receive from your family and friends.

I received overwhelming support from my family and friends. The ED was always full with family and friends. It got to a point where the staff was asking if people would come back later. It didn’t stop there. Months after my accident, I always had a full house with people stopping by to express their love and support. It was absolutely amazing. I was so blessed to receive the love and support that I did. It was such abundance that I didn’t have a chance to feel down or pity for myself. I always had someone there telling me that if anyone can get through this, it was me. There was a day that I saw my mother crying. I said to her, what’s wrong?? She said that she always knew that I was a good kid and that people loved me but she had no idea that there were so many. That might’ve been my proudest moment at that time.


*How challenging was it to adjust to your wheel chair?

Getting use to the wheelchair was extremely challenging. It’s not just a matter of sitting in a wheelchair and wheeling around. It’s actually learning how to sit up and gaining your balance. It’s having to learn your center of gravity again. It’s being able to wheel without losing your balance and falling out of the chair. It took some time but I eventually was able to get around well. The other challenges were the accessibility issues. Something we all take advantage of. Now it’s not just a matter of getting around but am I able to… Is this place wheelchair accessible? Are there stairs to get in? Is it wide enough for me to get by? Are the bathrooms accessible? Are there curb cuts? How will I get in? How do I get on the beach? Things I never had to ask myself. Ultimately, you learn what your limitations are and just have to plan ahead.

*Is there anyone you admire, who keeps you inspired to stay so positive?

I am inspired and reminded by people every day. From the days shortly after my accident, I remember sitting in a room talking to a patient who couldn’t taste his food. I remember seeing a patient in a hospital bed that couldn’t move from the neck down and was being feed by a nurse. It was at that moment when I felt blessed and inspired. It took the expression, knowing that it can always be worse to a whole other level. It’s the people with disabilities that have it worse than me. They are my inspiration.

*What has most changed about you from before and after your accident?

I like this question. I get asked it all the time. My answer remains the same. “What you see is what you get…” Outside of the physical aspects that changed my life, I am the same person. This disability has not stopped me from being the person I want to be or the person I choose to be. I am exactly where I am supposed to be in life. So whether that’s walking or wheeling through life, I am where I am supposed to be.


*If you could share the biggest thing you’ve learned from this experience, what would it be?

One of the biggest things that I learned throughout this whole experience is that there are really good people in this world. People are always going out of their way to help and accommodate me. Whether it’s holding the door for me, asking if I need help breaking down my chair as I’m getting in my car or simply asking if I need help with grocery shopping. People are always willing to help. With all the bad things and negativity you hear about, it’s hard to see it sometimes.

*In conclusion, is there anything you would like to share with my readers?

All I can say is that I look at what happened to me as a blessing. I never once questioned why it happened. Sometimes you must go on and not ask why. You have to be thankful for everything you get. Never look at what you can’t do. Be grateful for what you can do. Always have a positive attitude. Love and respect the people around you. Treat everyone the way you would like to be treated. Live each day like it was your last. For you never know what the future holds.


Thank you so much for sharing this interview, Frankie. It has been an absolute honor to have you on my blog. You da' man!

Note: Please feel free to comment to Frankie directly and openly, as he will be delighted to respond to each of you.

Frankie’s links:

*Facebook
*Videos
*Fitness Blog
*Philly’s Most Sexy Singles