If Life Gives You a Hook, Become a Pirate Enthusiast – Craig Decker’s Story

On January 1, 2007 Craig Decker was seriously injured in a fireworks accident that claimed his right hand. Rather than becoming a “victim,” however, Craig used this experience as a way to reach out to and lift others. As he wrote in his personal blog, “We come to know ourselves and we come to know God through our trials. We are surrounded by miracles. When we trade self-pity for humility, our eyes are opened to see them” (See Craig’s blog at www.cddoj.blogspot.com).  With characteristic humor, Craig looked for opportunities to smile at his situation:  “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade,” he wrote, “If life gives you a hook, become a pirate enthusiast.”

Craig threw a “Pirate Party” for his friends at his apartment complex once his arm had healed.

Only months after his devastating accident, Craig was boating with his family and jumped overboard to recover a lost oar. He never re-surfaced, and his body was recovered a few days later. (See a related news article at http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=3697617). His family have sponsored this Ryan’s Lion in honor of Craig.

-The Ryan’s Lion Organization