WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – Kent Berry’s life was forever changed after a motorcycle accident in March.
He was hit by a car at the intersection of South College Rd. and Shipyard Blvd. He says without several people coming to his rescue, he wouldn’t be alive.
Berry talked to WECT from his hospital bed after the crash happened. Now, things are looking much different for Berry.
He is now taking life one day and one step at a time, a big achievement after he lost his leg.
“I have to do things differently for the rest of my life,” said Berry.
But Berry’s new reality is not hindering him from living his best life.
“This is a disability, but I do not consider myself to be disabled,” said Berry.
One of those challenges is learning to walk with a prosthetic.
“One of the first things I did was just stand – just stand up,” said Berry. “Once the leg started coming in and I was able to start walking on the parallel bars, I thought ‘this is going to happen, you know this is going to happen.’”
Those first few steps turned into leaps and bounds. Berry is already swimming for an hour almost every day, going on walks, and playing fetch with his dog, Kane.
It’s a recovery his physical therapist, calls remarkable.
“Usually when someone is coming out of the hospital after an amputation, we’re working on still some very functional things, getting in and out of bed, basic functions. But we didn’t have to worry about that at all. He’ll probably continue to exceed expectations because that’s the norm for him,” said Evan Henry, a physical therapist with Novant Health.
Berry believes learning how to walk again – has also put him on a new path in life.
“I like to think I’m a better person, and I know that sounds kind of trite, but it has changed me emotionally,” said Berry.
And while the accident changed him physically, he feels it’s given him a new purpose too.
“I do feel that I’m fortunate and that the lord kept me here for a reason,” said Berry.
Berry is also a believer that everything happens for a reason. Before his accident, he had high blood pressure.
After his leg was amputated, his blood pressure went down, for an unknown reason.
Doctors tell him it could be several reasons such as a certain artery in that leg restricting blood flow.
Either way, Berry says he feels much healthier.
Berry believes his purpose now, is to help others who are dealing with similar challenges in his amputee support group called “Amputees Sharing Knowledge.”
The group meets on the second Thursday of each month from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the conference room in the lobby of Novant Rehabilitation Hospital.
As for his riding days, Berry says that’s behind him, and he has a difficult time just seeing the scene in the story from when we first reported on the crash, it’s a story that he won’t let define him.
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