White tells students story of his "stupid mistake"

By Sharon Coy
Blade Staff Writer
"Don't do it" was the message Joe White stressed strongly when he spoke Monday afternoon at the Concordia High School Auditorium to junior and senior high school students about the dangers of drinking. The title of his presentation was "Joe White—My Story."
In 2006  Washburn Rural High School senior White had plans to graduate, attend the University of Kansas and study film. His plans changed abruptly because of what he calls "a stupid mistake."
That mistake, made on the night of his school's Homecoming celebration, was choosing to hang out with friends and drink beer rather than attend the Homecoming dance. Imitating a stunt seen in a movie that was popular at the time, White decided to jump from a car which was going 35 miles an hour.
White survived the jump without any broken bones but with traumatic brain injuries that left him in a coma for three weeks. He had a blood clot on his brain and because he was intoxicated with too much alcohol in his blood, surgery could not be performed for three days.  When he awoke from the coma, he was paralyzed on his right side and unable to speak. Remembering nothing about the accident, he asked, "What am I doing here?"
White was transferred to the Madonna Rehab Hospital in Lincoln, Neb., where he was given months of intense physical therapy. He had to learn to walk, talk and eat. At one time during his recovery period, White said he was almost suicidal. Family and friends were supportive. White praised his father for always being there for him. The dad who had planned on sending his son off to college was now helping him go to the bathroom and handle small tasks.
White returned to Washburn Rural High School where he finished his senior year in the spring of 2007. He continued at the school for two more years to help with his speech and occupational therapy. Here he began telling students his story and the idea of giving presentations was born.
He told of his first presentation which consisted of walking up in front of a bunch of kids and saying "Don't do it" then sitting down. His message which has now been presented more than 50 times has lengthened and is preceded with a video showing his progress in rehabilitation.
White speaks on a  third grade level and sometimes hesitates between words. A friend, Abby Eli accompanies him on his presentations and helps him find the words when his thought process fails.
"I was so stupid," White said. "Drinking affects everything. I have one arm and one leg." In spite of this reflection, White's presentation was sprinkled with smiles and humor.
He appears to find strength in one of his favorite quotes, "What does not kill me, makes me strong" and the words of his grandfather when he heard about White's plan to give presentations on his story, "If this saves one life, it's worth it."
In addition to Concordia Junior and Senior High School students, students from Miltonvale, Glasco and Pike Valley High Schools attended White's presentation. White also told his story Monday evening at Cook Theater at Cloud County Community College. Sponsor for the presentations was the Cloud County Chemical Dependency Committee with financial support from the Community Foundation for Cloud County.

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