Jeroen van Piggelen
One day, I was flying as a pilot in a Boeing 737, the next day I woke up at home and within 4 hours I was paralyzed up to my neck. Guillain-Barré Syndrome they concluded after a long day of testing. This happened to me 10 years ago in April this year. But I refused to give up. Not even one day. From the beginning, till now. So, I learned everything again: walking, standing, sitting, swimming, you name it. I proposed to my girlfriend on one knee (without falling 😀). I fought my way back into the simulator to get back into flying. But the final step I couldn’t make. So, I had to change my career and shift my mind to the next chapters in life, leading me to a string of successful jobs and most importantly, being a proud dad of two boys. GBS taught me life lessons that took away my dream job but didn’t dictate how to enjoy life. Yes, life is now different, sometimes still hard with the pains and struggles, but I experienced so much more joy and happiness after being sick than before. I’d have preferred to read my life story in a book, but now I sat in the first row and worked tirelessly to be where I am today. And I’m proud of it. PS: my wife said yes by the way when I proposed to her in Rome.
