When Sam Mack reflects on the course his life has taken over the past three years, there is one date that sticks in his mind: May 18, 1998.

That was the day he almost lost his life in a car accident. He fell asleep at the wheel while on a 16-hour drive from Houston to his hometown of Chicago. Mack was 10 minutes from his exit on the highway when he dozed off. The car flipped. He was tossed through the sunroof and his nephew, who was riding with him, was ejected through the rear window.

Mack was thrown 45 yards. His neck was broken in four places and his left arm was paralyzed.

``I'm blessed to be here,'' said Mack, who has a tattoo of praying hands with the inscription ``He Watcheth over Me'' on his right deltoid.

``After everything that I have been through, I feel like somebody is watching over me.''