Resurrection: The Story of James DeMelo

“Someone once told me that the only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is the will to try and the faith to believe it is possible.”

On April 24, 1998, James DeMelo was in a critical accident. A semi-truck hit his car, and the impact literally left him dead at the scene. There was a paramedic on the corner, and when he rushed to the car and checked James’s vitals, he couldn’t feel a pulse. But he began CPR and James’s heart began to beat again. Through the grace of God his life was saved, but he had broken his neck in two places, his back was broken in four places, his shoulder blade and a couple of ribs were broken, and he suffered various other injuries.

“I wore a halo brace on my head for three months so the neck vertebrae could heal,” explains James. “But even after that, I had a long way to go in the recovery process. Significant nerve damage remained, and a large portion of my muscle mass had atrophied. I had so much to overcome, and I wasn’t sure I could do it.

“But I had to try. Someone once told me that the only thing that stands between a man and what he wants from life is the will to try and the faith to believe it is possible. At first it was difficult, but I forced myself to go to the gym twice a day. Within the first two weeks I had increased my strength and stamina, and my mobility had greatly improved. I began to see that it was possible to regain my quality of life.

“After three months of consistent workouts, a healthy diet, and nutritional supplements, I lost 16 pounds of fat and regained 11 pounds of lean muscle mass. Eight weeks into the program, I felt so good that I was able to minister for a week in Ghana, West Africa. When I started, I couldn’t do 15 minutes of cardio or play with my daughter for more than a few minutes at a time. I couldn’t lift heavy things or do yard work. I didn’t know if any of these things would ever be possible again. Now I can say to anyone who’s been injured — it is possible to recover, it is possible to regain, and it is possible to reclaim your life.

“My life has been devoted to helping people spiritually, but now I know that I can encourage people physically as well. I’m an example of what can be achieved with dedication, hard work, and God’s help. Already, I’ve been able to motivate those in the gym who watched my metamorphosis. I truly believe that there’s opportunity in the middle of every difficulty, and that the fullness or emptiness of life is measured by the extent to which we feel we have an impact on others. That’s why I’ll keep reaching out, however I can, even if it’s just being able to say, ‘Hey, I did it — so can you.’

“I saw my rehab doctor a year after my accident, and he couldn’t believe the progress I had made. But for me, it wasn’t just the physical changes that have made a difference in my life. While those things are important, and I’m happy that I can run and play with my little girls and teach them soccer and softball. The real peace of mind comes from knowing that my faith can help me overcome any obstacle life throws at me.

“Throughout my life, I’ve found that when you help others reach their dreams, you usually reach yours in the process. So I tell people, ‘You can change your life! Don’t focus on what you are, but on what you can become.’”