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Taylorsville » Dustin Godnick, a 25-year-old quadriplegic, survived two heinous car accidents that left him wheelchair-bound and in nearly constant pain.
It's tough to see the damage by looking into Godnick's face. His lively eyes and genuine smile betray his painful past. Despite his physical trials, Godnick is happy, married, and a self-made businessman.
Godnick, of Taylorsville, shared his story about staying positive in the wake of devastating personal trials in "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Extraordinary Teens," released last month, which also features essays by Anna Kournikova , Ryan Cabrera, Donald Trump Jr., and other notable youths.
"I just really, really hope to make a difference," said Godnick, who speaks to teens about his life. "I think this accident can be a great thing, and I think that the potential for impact on youths' lives is exponential. I think there's no limit to it."
The quick version of Godnick's story: As a Park City teen -- he has since moved to Taylorsville -- Godnick became friends with an older crowd that used cigarettes, alcohol and marijuana. He began doing the same things. He lost confidence in himself. Thinking he was stupid, he enrolled in alternative-education classes. He rebelled against his family's religion, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and had little hope for a productive life.
He got his big epiphany on Feb. 3, 2001,
While hanging out with friends, Godnick rode in a BMW driven by a drunken friend. The group spotted another Beemer and decided to race.
"As we approached a mild curve in the road," writes Godnick, "the BMW we were racing drifted into our lane and tapped the side of our car. Both cars spun out of control, and ours was sent into a tree going backward at 60 miles per hour."
Godnick's neck snapped, and his friends ran away, leaving the teen terrified and motionless in the back seat. Paralyzed from the chest down, he was the only person seriously injured in the wreck.
The troubled teen prayed, and soon two young adults appeared at his window and called an ambulance.
The accident turned Godnick's life around. Lying in a hospital bed, he remembers seeing his mother gaze down at him. Before the accident, their relationship was rocky.
"I guess when I saw her face, I just realized, she just wanted the best for me always," Godnick said. "She loved me, and she wanted more than anything for me to live the life that I was meant to live."
At that moment, Godnick vowed to do just that. He returned to Park City High his senior year and took difficult classes.
"I was astonished at my abilities," Godnick writes. "Just a few months prior, I thought I wasn't smart at all, but the reality was, I just wasn't applying myself."
After graduating, Godnick read a book called Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki , with Sharon L. Lechter. The book, he says, changed his life. He became "hooked on creating financial independence" for himself.
He soon became a successful businessman through real estate. He owns Godnick Investment and half of Foreclosure Connection.
"He's just a positive person," said Natalie Godnick, Dustin's wife. "He has a good attitude. He keeps a good mind-set. He's good at thinking of the bright side of things, thinking the best about everything even if it's hard. I like that about him. He was different that way."
At 22, Godnick faced another test. Behind the wheel of a special car that allowed him to sit in his wheelchair while driving, Godnick's car was rear-ended.
The collision knocked his wheelchair back, leaving Godnick staring at his car's ceiling. Meanwhile, the gas pedal was stuck. As Godnick lay helplessly on his back in his car, eyeballing the ceiling, the car sped out of control for about two minutes, rear-ending the car in front of him several times and then driving about half a mile out of control down the freeway.
Finally, the car flipped over, the engine still revving.
The second accident left him in constant pain. After his first accident, he was able to use a manually operated, motorized wheelchair. Now he relies on a joystick to steer his chair, and is unable to participate in sports that he enjoyed after his first accident.
Godnick plans to write a book about his life, and specifically, about the positive outlook he has maintained through each ordeal.
Godnick no longer regrets the events that left him handicapped.
"[At first], there was definitely some 'Why me? Why such a serious accident? Why couldn't I have broken my back instead of my neck?' " Godnick said. "Reflecting on it now, I needed it [to happen just as it did.] Everything is the way it should be."
"It was definitely a good thing," Godnick said. "Had it not happened, I don't know where I'd be right now."
Natalie Godnick met her husband after the second accident and never knew him as a drug-using, wayward youth.
"It's really hard to believe it's the same person from the stories that I hear of what he used to be like," Natalie Godnick said. "It's incredible how he's changed and how much better of a person he's become."
To stay happy, Godnick avoids what he calls the "victim game" and tries to be grateful for what he has.
"I've realized that we all have incredible abilities waiting to be found -- and the best part is, we don't need to face a severe accident to discover those talents," Godnick writes. "We just need to be honest with ourselves, take responsibility, and make the most of what we're given."
