Hi Evan,
My name is Lee, I'm from the UK. I've bought a few things from you recently and I love your work.
Last year on 2nd April, 11 days before my 35th birthday I suffered a catastrophic spinal injury whilst playing Rugby. It was only 3 games before I was due to retire to concentrate on being a Daddy to my twin boy and girl and a better partner to my fiancé.
The accident has left me Quadriplegic with no movement below my shoulders. It's a miracle I didn't die, it was only because I was so fit from training that I pulled through.
Even so I technically died 3 or 4 times, my heart stopped 3 times, my lungs collapsed, my kidneys failed, my temperature was 42 degrees Celsius. It was a hard time for me and my family.
It took me 8 months to officially rehab but every day I feel like I am still adjusting to normal life. It's a long road, sometimes dark, sometimes light and it can be extremely lonely because of not having people to relate to.
Anyway, for a few weeks I have been really struggling to lift my mood to the point where I couldn't be bothered to go through the challenge of getting out of bed. Honestly I had given up and just didn't want to be here anymore. I just couldn't find my way through the dark.
Then I stumbled across the picture below and I must have read it 1000 times and it snapped me out of the black. It reminded me of how my friends would talk to me if they could see how I was. I could see myself in the change room before a match getting psyched up by someone saying it to me.
Just for a second I was six foot one weighing 225lbs, powerful, fast and fearless again. I read this quote every day and although I will never play sport again, those words help me get through every single day just being a good Father, partner and friend to my loved ones.
If you ever choose to print those words as a piece please remember me and I will be first in line to buy one.
Thank you for all you have done in the past for the freedom of us normal people, I truly admire the skill, bravery and honour that it must take.
Thank you also for the present and the words below that have made such a huge difference to me in my darkest hours.
Promise me one thing; that you will continue to live with the fantastic mind set that you have and keep producing life changing art.
All my thanks, respect and admiration,
Lee Jones