Oct 16, 2006 10:52 pm US/Central
10 Years After Shooting, Mullen Lives 'Good Life'
by Jim Mullen
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Ten years after he was shot and paralyzed, former Chicago cop Jim Mullen has built a new life for himself.
CBS
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Before the shooting, Mullen was an active Chicago police officer, who liked boating, skiing and fishing.
CBS
He was a young Chicago police officer with a baby daughter and a promising future on the force. But 10 years ago, Jim Mullen's life changed forever when he was shot on the job and paralyzed.
Now, Jim is CBS 2's disabilities reporter, and he tells us what life is like 10 years later.It was Oct. 16, 1996 and I was answering a call of a man with a gun.
The bullet he fired hit me in the jaw, then severed my spine. In a flash, I was paralyzed from the neck down.
My fellow officers Mike and Steve saved my life.
"Luckily, we were trained in CPR and it kicked in," said Det. Mike Conway.
My daughter, Maggie, was only 6 months old when I was shot. Maggie has never known me any other way, so to her having a dad who is paralyzed is just normal.
"He acts like a normal person, so I kind of see him, like the wheelchair's invisible," Maggie said.
I couldn't have made it through the last 10 years without the love and support of Maggie and my wife, Athena.
"It's not easy. It's not a piece of cake. But we're making lemonade," Athena Mullen said.
I was always active before I got shot -- boating, skiing, fishing.
Now, it can take up to three hours for my nurses to get me up and dressed. Because I can't move, I've gained 70 pounds since my injury. It's frustrating.
And my paralysis prevents my body from regulating temperature, so I can't tolerate cold.
Even though I'm basically happy, I do have some emotional ups and downs. I just have to use my mental attitude to get through them.
But I get excellent care from my nurses. I'm lucky. Because of the expense, not everyone gets such special care. But because I got injured on the job, the city covers my medical bills.
Besides my job as disabilities reporter for CBS 2, I have a few business interests. I also do speaking engagements to teach people that having a living with a disability doesn't have to mean living in despair.
I've been able to live a good life.
"I have my husband and his parents have their son," Athena Mullen said. "Who wouldn't give anything to have 10 more years with someone you love?"
(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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