Chance Veazey Will Always Remember That Pitch.

Fastball. Low and inside. He'll always remember what it felt like, too, when his bat connected with the ball. "The best feeling in the world," he said. Veazey looked up to see the ball soaring high over the right-field fence, slamming off the top of the scoreboard with a most satisfying thud. It was only a practice game at the University of Georgia, the chance to get in some fall swings before the season began in the spring, but the rush of hitting one out of the park still surged through his body. "That's the way you want to go out," Veazey said, his face revealing both sadness and satisfaction.

Two days later, he was paralyzed from the waist down when his scooter slammed into the side of a car. In all likelihood, he'll never walk again, much less return to the sport that was such a big part of his life. Here was a scrappy 19-year-old who seemingly had it all. A scholarship to Georgia, one of the country's top college baseball programs. A starting job waiting for him at second base in his freshman season. The dream of someday making it to the big leagues. It was snatched away before he got a chance to play his first college game.

After recovering from surgery to stabilize his shattered vertebrae, Veazey was transferred to the Shepherd Center to prepare for this new, unexpected phase of his life. Despite losing more than 20 pounds, he took on rehab with the same determination he showed on the baseball field. He learned everything from dressing himself, to driving with only his hands, to maneuvering his wheelchair over curbs.

Take nothing for granted. Our lives could change in a moment.