Ed started his career in December of 1978 in the Electrical Shop at Greenpoint, and spent the next six years in Gas Operations before moving into Meter Reading on Staten Island.
          Taken to St. Vincent’s Hospital, Ed fell into a deep coma, and was given little chance of ever  coming out of it.  His head injuries were so serious, his family was told that if he did come out of the come, he’d be in a betative state for the rest of his life.  Certainly, he’d never walk again and speech was pretty much out of the question, too.

           “However, says Ed, “two months later I did wake up and was sent to Hillcrest Rehabilitation Center in Pennsylvania, an establishment that specializes in head injuries.  I spent fourteen lonely months there during which there were several surgical procedures to try to put things back together.  From Hillcrest, I was sent to the Seaview Rehab Center as a patient in their new head trauma unit.
“The accident affected my motor functions badly, and I underwent an intensive course of speech therapy.”   “For 1 year I was tube fed 110, lbs.  Before the accident, I was 200 lbs. in good shape, that’s why I lived.  Now I’m 175 lbs., and I eat everything.  No matter how badly Ed’s body was affected, he maintained one important thing from day one — DETERMINATION.

       Sold our house in 1996, near Woodrow Road & Arthur Kill Road, too many stairs.       “I said ‘like hell will I be an invalid” and set about working my way back.  I went from being in a wheelchair for more than two years, to a walker, and from that to a quad cane.

       Speech therapy continues, now at SI University Hospital.  My walking and talking is still not that great, but it will get better.  Best of all, I recently go my driver’s license back and can get around in my own car these days, which is, to me, a miracle from God.”

        The strain of all these years of physical hardship caused Ed’s marriage to break up.  “We are separated now, Kim and I, but we remain great friends, and my eight-year-old son, Craig lives with her.” Legally divorced in 1998. 

       But get this!  Ed Betso has written a book about his harrowing experiences, and it is being published by Power Publications on Staten Island.  He’s also written a screenplay for a movie about his story. 

      What is his situation today?  “I was given a disability retirement in August of 1991, and I’m making do financially.  The main thrust of my life now, at 38 years of age, is to continue getting back as much mobility and speech dexterity I can — just to prove those people wrong who said I’d be down and out forever.

     In 1999 disc surgery.  2002 disc collapsed, spinal discs were fused to relieve pain & walk better, so far it’s working.  Next goal is to walk with a cane.  

     Want to offer a word of encouragement Ed’s address:
Mr. Edward Betso,  80 Richmond Hill Rd. Apt. 1P.  Staten Island, NY 10314

“Courage is the finest of human qualities, because, it guarantees all the others.    — Winston Churchill—“