Joni Eareckson Tada was an active teen when her life drastically changed. Spending almost her entire life as a quadriplegic, Joni has remarked many times, "I'd rather be in this wheelchair knowing God than on my feet without Him." Her testimony of faith began 59 years ago in the shallow waters of the Chesapeake Bay near her home in Maryland. On July 30, 1967, at the age of 17, Joni dove from a wooden platform into shallow water. Her sister Kathy pulled her from the water after noticing she was floating face-down. In that one moment, Joni's world moved from a reality filled with sports and horseback riding to permanent paralysis. After being rushed to the hospital, doctors placed her in a Stryker frame where she would be periodically flipped from facing ceiling to floor to keep her body aligned. During her time in the ICU, Joni experienced extreme depression, not just because of her physical state but because she watched many in her unit die from their injuries. As she began to grasp the seriousness of her situation, she "learned that the ICU ward was a room for the dying. I felt my own life was a fragile thing." She was diagnosed with total quadriplegia for the rest of her life and would spend the next year and a half in that hospital. After her release, Joni struggled to find self-worth amidst her limited abilities. She faced periods where she wanted to die or at the very least escape from the world. "The despair was claustrophobic, and I finally whimpered, 'I can't live this way. I'm so lost. God, show me how to live.'" This sparked the turning point of her life. Over time and by God's grace, Joni developed the ability to perform everyday tasks in unique ways. She found she could draw and paint using her mouth instead of her hands, signing her paintings with the letters PTL (Praise The Lord) as she "committed to being God's best audiovisual aid to the world.” Joni realized she had the ability and opportunity to impact others who faced similar situations. In her book she explains, "I recalled how at the hospital someone had told me, 'Just think of all the crowns you'll receive in heaven for your suffering.' 'I don't want any crowns,' I had barked back. 'I want to be back on my feet.' Now my thought was, 'Good grief, if I'm winning crowns, I can't wait to get more because it's the one thing I can give to the Lord Jesus Christ when I meet Him.'" Her accident reframed her perspective and taught her that suffering can produce joy. In a personal interview, Joni shared her insights into dealing with trial. She explains, "We have the inbuilt awareness that the world is terribly broken. Loss, pain, and suffering are simply part of what it means to be human." She advises those who face trial to "handle your hardships in such a way that God looks good, that it sanctifies your heart, and teaches you how to care for and serve others. When you steward 'your' suffering well, you are trusting in God's sovereignty and embracing His purifying work on your character.” In 1979, Joni established Joni and Friends (JAF), an international ministry whose purpose is to bring hope and practical help to people with disabilities and their families. As the ministry expanded, Wheels for the World was established, providing wheelchairs to children in underdeveloped nations. Through this program, "wheelchairs are restored to like-new condition by inmates in correctional facilities across the U.S. and then shipped to developing nations." One boy touched by the ministry was Levi, whose "humble family received a wheelchair beyond their means, opened their hearts to Jesus Christ and got connected with a solid, caring church."