Forever Changed
Rolland had gotten severely ill in 1993. He was rushed into St. Anthony's Hospital in Rockford, IL by ambulance. He had coded, on the way there. With high blood sugar, he faced a challenge ahead of himself.
He was in a fight for his life. He was rushed into emergency surgery. The doctors had found an infection on Rolland's side. They had to remove it immediately. It left him with a 32 inch wound on his right side. They had to go 6 inches wide, and 4 inches deep.
Rolland was put into the ICU. He was hooked to life support machines, and family was called. It was an emotional time for everyone. Yet, Rolland pulled through. He fought, though, it was a long road to recovery.
Rolland had to learn how to write, talk, and walk all over again. He worked hard to prove the doctor's wrong. The doctor's told him he would never walk again, talk again, and may have speech problems. After sometime, he was able to not only write and talk but walk as well. After this, he walked with the use of a cane.
He still wasn't done, he faced more challenges. Another bout of Gangrene would later claim his left leg from the knee down. Another challenge, but Rolland still kept going. Nothing stopped him, but due to neuropathy he ended up in a wheelchair. He could walk very short distances, but was not able to walk long distances.
No matter what he faced, he held his head high. He faced every challenge, overcame every obstacle, and did not allow what happened to him physically change the person he was.