In many ways Teddy Schwab is an ordinary 18-year-old.
He’s in the homestretch of graduating from high school on time, already receiving college credits from coursework at the Catholic University of America in Washington, playing recreation league basketball, working out at the gym three days a week and playing video games.
But when you talk to Teddy, it quickly becomes clear that he is anything but ordinary. He wasn’t expected to have a normal life after barely surviving the crash on Good Friday 2016 that left him in a month-long coma and paralyzed for months on the left side of his body. “I’ve been looking to God not only for the past eight years, but my whole life,” said Teddy.
The only thing he remembers from that day is “touching the outside of the car door, blacking out and waking up in the hospital.” Doctors knew that he had suffered a severe brain injury and his future was “about as grim as it gets for a 10-year-old,” according to his father, Ted Schwab.
The story of the crash on I-95 in Ridgeland, S.C. and Teddy’s promising recovery was first reported by the Catholic Herald in Jan. 2018. Teddy was accompanying his mother and sister when their car was hit at full speed from behind by a woman who had been on her phone. Everyone walked away from the crash but Teddy, who was flown to the trauma center at Memorial Hospital in Savannah, Ga.
“It’s been a rough eight years. The recovery has not been easy,” he said. “I can do most things, but at the same time I have to take naps throughout the day because I get fatigued very easily. Other than that, everything is fine.”
The young man, who his dad describes as a “great people person,” pauses before answering each question about his life, making sure to give credit to God. “He’s the reason I’m here,” he said. “If he hadn’t helped me, I wouldn’t be on the phone with you right now,” he said.
After a frustrating two years in public and private schools, Teddy decided to homeschool and is preparing to pursue a business degree in college. He’s also focused on helping his recreation league basketball team in the playoffs, where he plays guard and takes pride in his defense. “I may not score much, but defense wins championships,” he said with a laugh.
Despite the daily exhaustion and continued challenges, Teddy’s conversation is filled with gratitude. An avid reader, he credits “The Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis for helping him deal with self-defeating thoughts. “The devil likes to take pride in things,” he said. “God said, ‘I make all things new.’ ” As the eight-year anniversary of the crash approaches, Ted Schwab looks back on one particular moment when his 10-year-old son was fighting for his life. The chaplain at the hospital came to pray with the family. He boldly prayed for a complete recovery, then assured them that God is bigger than any diagnosis. “That was sort of a touchstone,” said Ted. “We’ve been holding onto that for eight years.”
The Schwabs are parishioners at Good Shepherd Church in Alexandria, where Teddy is active in the youth group and parish life. “He feels like he’s been given a second chance,” said Ted. “That’s God’s gift to him. How he uses it is his gift to God.”
Teddy doesn’t hesitate to talk about God with his peers, including those who claim to be atheists. “Whenever things go sideways or things don’t go my way, I like to take a deep breath and ask God, ‘what do I do here,’” he said. “All glory to God, man.”
