To Larry and Staff at Larry North Fitness,

This is my annual birthday letter to all of you. For those of you who have come on board at Larry North Fitness during the past year, this is my 14^th letter of thanks to Larry for saving the quality of my life.

It has not been an easy year due to our business challenges in our country and to my chronic shoulder problems and spinal stenosis. But it has been far better than it would have been if not for Larry.

Fourteen years ago my life took a radical turn in less than 24 hours. I woke up on July 4^th, 1995 and all hell broke loose physically with no prior warning.

Within 24 hours, I was totally paralyzed, could not close my eyes, had double vision (2 years), could not swallow or speak, was on a respirator, and was on morphine – detached from the real world. When I finally left Baylor Hospital many months later, I still had a food tube in my stomach and could not raise my arms.

I had never heard of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, much less the Miller-Figher variant, and my morphined mind did not grasp it for months.

I almost died twice – once from pneumonia and once while on morphine, when I pulled at the trache in my throat and ruptured the major blood vessel.

When I was released from Baylor Hospital, I was skeletal for the first time in my life. All of my years of conditioning was gone.

I survived the 6 month ordeal due to the 13 hours a day that my beautiful Beverly was there with me, the support of our children and my mother, and without question, the personal involvement of Jesus Christ.

As I was going through outpatient rehabilitation, Larry North came to see me to ask me to let him rebuild my body and strength. He worked out a transition plan with my doctors.

I have been here ever since. If not for my foolishness in doing far too many pushups and ruining my shoulder two years ago, I would still be in the best shape of my after football life.

I particularly want to thank Tyler Herrin, my trainer for the past four years and Hash Raja for his work on my very bad shoulder.

I want each of you to know the debt I owe Larry. Jesus Christ and my family, and my doctors, and the staff at Baylor Hospital saved my life. Larry helped me get back my quality of life. You each work for a great man.

Sincerely,

Charles T.