About Shane Goddard

Shane Goddard’s wedding picture on April 11, 2009

By Ralph E. Vaughn

Shane Goddard of Murfreesboro says with unwavering conviction that he is truly a walking, talking miracle. He has facts to prove his point. Shane was told at the age of 15 that his life would be confined to a wheel chair as a paraplegic. Now, 17 years later, he definitely is 180 degrees to the contrary.

A motorcycle enthusiast since he was a small boy, Shane had a thirst for speed and competition, even imagining that he would someday be a professional in motocross. His miracle story began on March 16, 1997, in Christiana. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon filled with speed, jumps, and a little dare-devil maneuvers by Shane and some of his friends. Then something happened. He wrecked; something that had happened several times before, nothing unusual, all part of sporting competition. But this time would be different. He thought that he would do as before, simply get up, brush himself off, and get back into the game with his bike.

You can almost imagine what raced through Shane’s mind when he could not get up. What’s wrong, he thought. Why, why? He passed out.

While drifting in and out of consciousness, Shane believed that he was in a deep valley and could hear people standing at a distance saying such things as: “You will be OK. We have an ambulance on the way. Don’t try to move.” He awoke at Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville after being airlifted. A team of doctors was talking and lifting his legs. He was told to push as hard as he possibly could. Shane gave it his all. One doctor’s face told the story. Nothing was happening.

Shane was paralyzed from the waist down, the result of his spinal cord being damaged in the motorcycle wreck. His family rallied around him offering words of encouragement, praying that God would perform a miracle. Shane also prayed, “Jesus, please help me. You know me better than any doctor because you made me.”