Trip to Pro Wrestling Event Touches Heart of Nursing Home Resident

Nursing home activities and events are as unique as the residents that call the facility home.

There’s gardening, games, church services, shopping trips, excursions to the county fair…the list goes on and on.

So it shouldn’t surprise you when a Shoals area nursing home takes residents to a professional wrestling event.

What may surprise you is how much that simple gesture meant to one man.

Growing up, John Benson and his father shared a love of professional wrestling. The two watched Georgia Championship Wrestling matches on television and the sport was often the topic of their conservations. It was a great way for a father and his special son to bond.

As a child, John’s mobility was limited because he was born with cerebral palsy. That didn’t stop him from trying the wrestling moves he saw on television. He quickly mastered the skills of the “suplex” and the “sleeper hold” by wrestling the pillows on his parent’s bed. Over the years, John became very knowledgeable about the professional wrestling business.

It’s a good thing John has wrestling experience. For six months, he wrestled mentally with the decision to move to a long term care facility. His journey with cerebral palsy had reached a turning point and he needed 24 hour a day skilled nursing care.

“The three count (decision to move to a nursing home) came when I began having falls nearly on a daily basis, and saw the need for more care after falling twice in one day,” John said.

He moved to Cottage of the Shoals in Tuscumbia in early March.

“I came to the conclusion that this was the best thing for me and those who cared for me,” John said. “God put me in the right place at the right time because I’ve made a lot of new friends. I was amazed to see that many of them are wrestling fans as well.”

Cottage of the Shoals Activity Director Wendell Greenleaf learned John had never attended a live professional wrestling event despite being a big fan his whole life. Plans were made to take John and his new friend and fellow nursing home resident George Carroll to a local professional wrestling event.

“I wanted John to experience the thrill of sitting ringside and feeling like he was part of the action, not just watching it on television,” Wendell said.

Wendell and other Cottage of the Shoals staff members took John and George to see New Generation Wrestling perform at O’Malley’s in Sheffield, AL. John and George sat on the front row. Match after match, they cheered the good guys and heckled the bad guys.

But the main event wasn’t in the ring that night. It was the time John spent interacting with the wrestling stars after the final bell rang. Several of the professional wrestlers spoke with John and George and posed for pictures. For John, the whole night was a dream come true.

“Everything you see about me is taken from the wrestling industry,” John said. “I have a disability, but I find a way to be stronger just like when a wrestler is injured and comes back stronger. When I speak to a crowd, just like a wrestler, my speech is clearer, and I find the right words to say to make them smile, or drive home a point.”

If you stop by Cottage of the Shoals, be sure to say hello to John. He’s one of Cottage of the Shoals’ biggest fans.

“I made the decision to come to the nursing home so that I can live!” John said.

If you have a few minutes, pull up a chair and watch the latest professional wrestling match with him.  You’ll be amazed as John makes his predictions for the winners, critiques their performance and monitors the psychology of the match.

“This trip to a wrestling event and other activities are very important to our residents,” Wendell added. “I’m thankful to be part of a team that makes life fun and happy for our nursing home residents.”

About Cottage of the Shoals:
Cottage of the Shoals is a 103-bed skilled nursing facility offering speech, physical and occupational therapy along with long term care. The facility is located in Tuscumbia, Alabama.