S2 E5 – Christian Colon

Host Grover Silcox talks with Christian Colon, a Bethlehem tattoo artist and entrepreneur whose life changed in an instant in a severe motorcycle accident. Christian details his challenging path back to family, work and serving his community.

https://www.goodshepherdrehab.org | 1-888-447-3422 (44-REHAB)

Thank you to our partners at Lehigh Valley Public Media.

Episode Transcript

(00:05):
[Music]
Hello, I'm Grover Silcox and welcome to
Boundless, where we give voice to Good
Shepherd Rehabilitation's patients and
their families. You'll hear the
compelling real life stories of folks
who have braved the trials, triumphs,
and tribulations of rehabilitation

(00:25):
and the boundless possibilities that lie
on the other side of that journey.
Joining me now on today's show is
Christian Colon, a tattoo artist who
owns a shop in South Bethlehem.
Christian's talent is creating body art,
but two years ago, his own body took a

(00:45):
spill in a serious motorcycle accident.
He's here to tell us about his journey
and his way back. Christian, welcome to
the show.
Thank you for having me.
Oh, our pleasure. Um, so first, tell me
a little bit about your shop and your
your profession.

(01:06):
Gotcha. being a tattoo artist.
Uh my name is Christian Colon. Um I
own and operate a shop on East Third
Street uh called C23 Inc. Uh got into
this journey and taking it serious in
2016. Uh so going about like nineish
years now. Um we have about 10 11
artists as well as myself. We also do a
whole bunch of embroidery. Um and we

(01:28):
have like a a sneaker store in the
front. Uh it's called Stack Souls Vault.
Um I partnered up with a young fella
that does anything and everything that's
hype. So, I like a lot of like sneakers
as you can see or um hype clothing such
as uh Essential and all that other
stuff. So, we're more of like a urban um
tattoo shop mixed with a whole bunch of

(01:49):
different type of artists such as anime,
realism, micro, whatever you're looking
for, we try to house it and give you
what you need.
You probably have customers all over
Bethlehem, the Lehigh Valley, and
beyond.
A little bit everywhere. Yeah, we try to
uh
we try to implement the um build
relationships instead of transactions.
So, we try to make everybody that comes

(02:10):
in feel comfortable for every um shape,
size, color, whatever you're trying to
do. We try to fit you in with the right
artist and make sure what you're looking
for is exactly what you get.
So, was it two years ago that you had
your accident?
Yes, two years ago. May 12th.
May 12th. Never forget that day.
Never forget the day. Two days before
Mother's Day. Uh, and you have your

(02:30):
business, you have your art, you have a
successful thing going, and then this
happens. Tell us a little bit about the
accident.
Yeah. Uh, it actually happened on the
same block as my tattoo shop. They say a
lot of your accidents are within 5 miles
of your home, um, or wherever you're
leaving from. And literally, it happened
on the day that I was at my shop. So,

(02:53):
um, what I do remember from that day, it
was a Friday. It was a beautiful Friday.
Um, I have a goddaughter that was in
high school. Uh, I have a nephew and a
um and a godson that was in middle
school. And when it gets hot out, their
first thing was texting me when they're
not supposed to be texting in school.
But, "Hey, can you pick me up on the
motorcycle?" So,
it was uh like, "Okay." So, I picked

(03:14):
them all up on the motorcycle. I hardly
get to ride my bike cuz I'm always
working, whatever the case may be.
Um, so I finally rode to the shop and
when I got to the shop, it was a hot
day. Hey, I took my helmet off. Whatever
the case may be. I called my client. It
um and it happened to be prom as well.
And I didn't know that. But uh he was
letting me know like, "Hey, there's a
lot of traffic, so I'm going to be like
half hour, 45 minutes late." I was like,

(03:36):
"All right, well, since I hardly ever
get to ride my bike, then I could go
around the block or go up the street and
come back and get a little ride in and
still have time." So,
and that's what I thought I was doing.
So, I I went to put my helmet back on,
but it was sweaty cuz it was hot,
whatever. So, I'm not going too far.
I'll ride with no helmet. I got a
haircut. I look all right. Why not?
Right.
And that was pretty much it. I came up

(03:58):
the block and third in Hayes. Um I had a
yellow light and
then my lights went out. I got hit by
the car and
Wow.
woke up 11 12 days.
And the driver who was in a in a car.
Yeah. GMC Tarant. I can never forget the
car either.
And from what you told me prior to the
program, he didn't even remember seeing

(04:20):
you.
No. And
it happened so fast.
Yeah. Yeah, he was a young kid. He
actually stopped. Um, so he I I do
appreciate that he stopped and they made
the calls and the ambulance got there
and all that case, but uh yeah, he hit
from the police report uh was that he
was going to make the left. He didn't
see me or all he heard was a motorcycle
and then it was just bang. So, uh I I

(04:42):
think we were just both going through
yellow light and I had a black bike.
There's a little hill probably the his
view from where he was at. Um, yeah.
It's it's hard as hell, but I was
through the light by the way the the the
pictures show. Like he definitely hit
me. I didn't
Right. Right. And being on a motorcycle,

(05:02):
I mean, you're very vulnerable.
Yeah. And it's and it's people don't
understand is that um on a break in a
car when you break like you go forward
in a in a bike you slide. So like you
don't it don't break the same. So it's
like if you think about a a pedal bike
when you press that back brake you
slide. You don't go like you don't
it don't come to a halt. So even
breaking on a motorcycle is a lot
different than breaking in a car. So um

(05:26):
yeah, all I
And it was long after the accident that
you know you were told
Yeah. I even came to that conclusion.
You went flying 20 ft.
20 feet in the air. Uh I had I still
have an abrasion right here on top of my
like I hit my head. Uh
yeah, the way I heal now is amazing. God
is good. Um but uh from pictures and

(05:46):
stuff that I have seen that's how I got
this story.
Yeah. What was affected? What what got
broken
from the accident? Uh I had fra uh cuts
all over my body for sure. I had a hole
in my uh right knee from just a rug uh
the road burn. Uh I broke my left arm. I
broke my my left femur.
Um and have nerve damage all throughout
my left leg. pretty much like my whole

(06:08):
left side was that's the side I was hit
on was pretty much crushed and still
going to therapy to this day two years
later and um
Right. You were in for a while, right?
Yes. I was in a a a medicalind induced
coma for 9 to 11 days roughly. So
Right. And there was a moment there was
some time there where it was dicey.

(06:29):
Oh definitely. Yeah. Uh
your family was told you know
Yeah. They actually told my wife uh Dr.
Davis that uh we I I may have two hours
to live and
that was a crazy time cuz my mother
lives in Florida. So uh that wasn't good
news for my my wife to hear and it
wasn't for her to translate that to my

(06:50):
mom that hasn't even got on a plane yet.
So it it was very
very up in the air for a little bit. And
then we have uh Miss Katie who's a
amazing nurse at St. Lukes and she's a
family friend to this day. So, she's
invited to all the cookouts. Um, but uh
she never left my side. She was the only

(07:11):
like nurse that was able to run this
echo machine and she got the echo
machine and that's what technically
saved my life and pushed the healing
process forward,
right? Cuz your oxygen level was very
low.
Yeah, very low. Especially I'm a chronic
asthmatic. So, um I done been in ICU for
a collapsed lung before. Like my asthma
done took me out many times. So when
this first happened, that's what I

(07:31):
thought I was in there for. Like I
thought it was just another asthma
attack and then
to try to move my body and it wasn't
moving. And I was like, "Oh, wait.
What's going on?" And then people tried
you got a motorcycle accident and oh
what? And then everybody telling you
their side of the story and Yeah.
Right. So once you recovered from the
initial accident,
what couldn't you do? What how what did

(07:54):
that do
in terms of the kinds of things the life
you you you had led up to that point?
Yeah, I was very athletic. I'm just I'm
still trying to get there. But uh yeah,
I was very do it all myself type of guy.
But uh when that accident did happen,
like my whole left side was pretty much
shut down. I had to like pretty I'm
still learning how to walk every day,

(08:15):
trying to build my muscle back up. Um, I
was very scared I wouldn't be able to
tattoo ever again because I had pins in
my wrist and I had a broken uh left arm
and at one point I couldn't even like
touch my thumb to my pinky. So it was
just very like well just relearning the
whole left side of my whole body and
through therapy and and consistency and

(08:37):
not giving up and positive thinking and
going to good shepherd and just seeing
other people fight through their trials
and tribulations is and gives you
something to be like what am I really
complaining about because even my
accident is it is as bad as it seems and
it is crazy somebody's praying for that
bad or you know I mean somebody in that
wheelchair wished they had my limp or

(08:58):
somebody who might limp wished, you know
what I mean? Something else. So,
it's the old story of there there's
always someone who has it worked.
For sure. Yes.
And that's really kind of looking at it
the way you should.
Yeah. So, as bad as it was, I was
grateful that I
uh I was still alive. Um at one point
they wasn't sure if my left leg would
ever come back cuz due to the the nerve
damage and the surgeries and the

(09:19):
swelling and all that stuff that came.
So I believe at one point they voiced to
my mother that he may never ever get to
walk again or you know I mean that they
don't want to promise something that may
not happen which I definitely understand
to this day now. Um and there's been
times that throughout this process I
wish they just took the leg from all the
pain that I was going through. Just
being fully transparent but um

(09:40):
sure that's what pain does.
Yeah. Going through that process and
stuff like that I'm grateful and that I
still have even without it you get
amputated and I see people do runs and
marathons with amputation legs.
That also kept me motivated and seeing
this I saw a video of this one guy that
I thought he was crazy but uh he he was
a surfer and you can't somebody loves

(10:02):
something. Yeah. He got bit by a shark.
His both legs was gone and he still went
surfing. Wow.
And he still surfs to this day with
and he's a world famous surfer and all
that stuff and cuz people always ask me
would I ever get back on a motorcycle
and as much as I love motorcycles I love
my daughter and my wife to be a little
more my family. that your your family
had.
Yeah.
Your wife, your daughter.

(10:22):
Exactly. So, it's not worth the risk.
And I didn't really calculate that cuz I
never been through that type of
situation. But after going through it,
it's definitely a calculated risk if you
hop on a motorcycle. But
got it.
It is a beautiful bike. It is a
beautiful situation. When I was on the
bike, it I was free from the world. So,
it felt like,
right,
but stuff like this does happen,
unfortunately. So, tell us a little bit

(10:44):
about uh rehab. you know, what your
emotions were like going into it and
what you discovered by doing the
regimens and the exercises.
Gotcha. Um, rehab was not easy, but but
definitely worth it. Um, when I first
went into Good Shepard, I was on a

(11:04):
walker, so and to be two years later
walking regularly with a little bit of
pain in the ankle, I I'll take it. But
when I went in there, it was very like,
wow, what am I even doing this for? Uh,
but the therapist there, they they walk
you through it. They work with you where
you're at. Um, I've became friends with

(11:24):
um a lot of the therapy there. Um, Miss
McKenzie, she's a uh she's a physical
theorist sometimes. That's my joke to
her, but it pushes me to where I need to
be.
And I believe they like that as well.
They love a patient that's trying to get
better. And then when they see them
getting better, it shows that the work
that they put in does have a reward as

(11:44):
well. Um even Miss Taylor uh she was my
inpatient um uh therapist and we became
very cool and I told her like I don't
want to stay like this and she knows I
was young. I was an athlete. So you give
me directions, I'mma push myself. Um not
going to over push myself. I don't last
thing I want to do is

(12:05):
break something again or make it slip
again. Right. And that's why it's
important for therapists to kind of get
to know you.
Exactly.
So they they know what motivates you.
Exactly.
And they know the kinds of things you
did before the accident, before you
stopped being able to do all these
things that you love and you enjoy.
Exactly. So
So they can help get you moving toward
those goals.
Yeah. Cuz not everybody has the same

(12:26):
goals, you know what I mean? Some people
just want to like just be able to stand
again. And I was very transparent with
all my I would love to I have a
four-year-old daughter that I want to be
able to make sure I can still chase
around. She might be a little faster
than me because I have a limp, but
I want to make sure I get there. So,
even me and Mackenzie joke to this day,
I want to do a 5K marathon. I didn't
know how long that was till she told me,
"This is how many miles you got to run.

(12:46):
I maybe we start a little slower." But,
uh, she she gets involved. And it and
it's good to see like even when I told
Miss Judy and Miss um McKenzie like,
"Hey, I'm trying to propose to my
fiance." All the girls in there were
excited, but my regimen changed to just
straight squatting. They try to make
sure I could get down, get up, get down,
get up. And then once I did the

(13:07):
proposal, they'll like, "Okay, let's go
back to overall body." So like if you
talk to your therapist and let them know
where you want to go, they definitely
try to do what they have to do to get
you there.
Right. And I I hear from almost every uh
every person I interview who has gone
through rehab with who's had a severe
situation that they really come to
really trust the therapists

(13:29):
and that bond that relationship is
really critical to getting better.
Yeah. And I tried uh I ran into a friend
that's in therapy now and I'm like you
you have to talk you have to be fully
transparent. Like sometimes I tell her,
"Hey, my leg's just not there today."
And she, okay, well, let's do some other
stuff that could kind of still get you
through it,
but you're doing something that you're
not
you're not giving up.
Exactly. You know what I mean? So, just

(13:50):
be full and transparent. Get to know
your therapist. They're going to deal
with you at least two times a week.
That's more times when you see a lot of
people in your life, believe it or not.
So, and as you talk to them, they got
life stuff going on as well. So, um,
everybody's battling some type of battle
and we all want to have a cheerleader in
your corner. So, um, it has helped me

(14:10):
mentally, physically, emotionally,
and even spiritually because you go in
there and you're like, "Oh, I feel this
times I was like, "Yeah, I think I'm
fully healed. I don't got to come back
here and she'll have put me through a
workout that humbles me." And like,
you're not fully there, but keep that
energy because that's what's going to
get you there. So,
right. Are you back to doing some of the
things you did before, basketball and
running and, you know, some of the

(14:32):
I'm getting there. Activities. Yeah.
Because I I still remember to this day
when the accident did happen. Um, I I
came out of the hospital around Father's
Day in June and then we went to uh my
in-laws like a Christmas party and I
remember picking up a basketball and I
couldn't even like shoot cuz I couldn't
keep my balance and now I could I could
jog and I played a threeon three half

(14:53):
court and I'm still not at full
recovery, but I never even thought I
would get there. So
now it gets me even more excited to I
can fully heal. I I feel like I could
get to that 100%.
Got it.
When at one point I was just trying to
get to 50. So, and like I try to tell
people, take care of today. Whatever you
could do today, and if you could give
100% today, you'll be surprised how easy
tomorrow is. So, that's that's what I

(15:15):
try to do with that.
I was actually going to ask you what
advice you would give to other people.
And that's perfect.
Yeah. Um, just understand like as bad as
it is, it could have been worse. Like I
could have died, you know what I mean? I
could have not healed at all. I could
have had one leg. I could have my lungs
could have collaped fully. I'm a fully
I'm a uh a chronic asthmatic that had

(15:38):
many many asthma attacks. You know what
I mean? So this could have my daughter
was about two years old when this
happened. So she could have been raised
with no father. So a lot of worse could
have happened. So I just thank God for
what I what did happen, whatever he's
trying to teach me through that
transition. And like I told my family at
church was I feel like this happened
because I'm hard-headed and I only
learned a hard lesson

(15:59):
and I wouldn't have got off the bike any
other way. So If it would have been like
a scratch or like a fender bumper, I
would have just scraped my leg. I
probably would have been on that
motorcycle again and who knows if the
next accident would have been as
favorable in my favor for that. So,
right,
I just tell people if you're going
through something, it does suck. It it
it you have every right to feel down
about yourself. But, uh
try to focus on the positive that you

(16:21):
are able to move or you're able
the stuff that you like I was able to
drive myself even in a walker. I see
some people that got to get picked up
and
right
that those little transitions is like
wow or this guy that's in a wheelchair
and he can't get out his car or he needs
help and I'm able to do that. So like
focus on the little victories and before
you know it there'll be a big one.
That's it. Yeah.

(16:41):
You know Christian I want to thank you
for coming. No problem.
And you know it's great to hear your
story and how you put things in
perspective and by doing that it has
helped you all along the way to get back
to where you are now and who knows where
you'll be a year from now. Yeah,
but it's all good.
Yeah, all good. Moving forward. No more
bad.
But life happens. But yeah, if anything,

(17:02):
we take it with the with the it comes
with life. But um yeah, everything
positive thinking moving forward. And I
can't thank Good Shepherd enough for
what they do. Even the podcast, I was
surprised. But even watching other
people's stories is like everybody's
battling something. and just be nice to
the next person and just understand that

(17:24):
we're all just trying to get better and
take the day by day and you'll be all
right.
There you go. We're going to leave it at
that. Thank you so much.
Appreciate your time.
Good luck.
Thank you, boss.
Well, that's our show, folks. Check in
next time for another episode of
Boundless and more personal stories of
perseverance, health, and wellness from
Good Shepard Rehabilitation. I'm your

(17:44):
host, Grover Silcox, saying thanks for
stopping by. We appreciate your support.