Spinal Network News - December 2017

Paul J. Curry - A Lucky Break
Sums Up a Life Less Ordinary
Paul J. Curry is a firm believer that everything happens
for a reason. At the age of 19, Curry was heading down
the wrong side of the tracks before he joined the Navy
in 1967. But, his fledgling career was cut short by a
horrific accident.
He writes: “A 400-pound weight dropping 10 feet,
becomes half-a-ton per square-inch by the time it
lands—and it landed on me.” Curry was talking about a
bomb, which dropped from the deck above and landed
on him, pinning him in a helpless position. He was lucky
to be alive and lucky to survive such a devastating blow.
It was a moment that would change his life forever.
Curry was transferred to Middlemore Hospital, and
his parents got the news that every parent dreads—
via telegram back in those days—that their son was
paralysed.
Devastated by the doctor’s assessment, his father insisted
nonetheless, that he would be the one to break the
news to his boy—such was the quality of his character.
Curry’s grandmother believed that his accident saved
him from a life of crime. She might be right. Now, many
years on from that fateful day, Curry has described the
moments that have made his life, a life-less-ordinary.
His book, fittingly titled A Lucky Break, is a great read.
It takes you right into the heart and mind of Curry,
through his journey in life with a spinal cord impairment.
It is as real as it is funny, and engaging from the first page
to the last.
Curry said writing this book was a hugely cathartic
experience: “I’m still surprised that a wayward kid from a
state-housing background could have such a wonderfully
satisfying and successful life.”
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