At age 23, in 1997, handsome and athletic Jade Bell was rushed to the hospital after drunkenly mixing a concoction of cocaine and heroin and shooting it into his arm. Blinded and unable to speak, afflicted by an acute muscle disorder throughout his body, Jade Bell had to gradually regain control of his body and accept the help of caregivers. Restricted to a wheelchair, he has since toured schools to give educational talks about the dangers of drug abuse. Dedicated to his beloved father Tyler Bell, who died after a painful and prolonged bout of cancer, Jade Bell's self-published poetry collection Strength of the Human Spirit (Granville Island Publishing, 2006) contains supportive notes and letters from his father encouraging his son to spiritually rise above the tragedy of his own self-induced handicaps. $16.95 1-894694-47-3

[BCBW 2007] "Health" "Poetry"