At first, everything -- even picking up the phone -- was a major endeavor. Just trying to get out of bed and into his wheelchair sometimes made him pass out, since the lack of muscle tone in his body caused blood to rush from his head when he sat up too quickly. Picking a dime off the ground was nearly impossible.

But in one year, Cawley was back on the job as a credit analyst at MBNA and living on his own. Today, he is a senior vice president and regional program officer with Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Seven years ago, he started a charity called Family & Friends Curing Paralysis, which has raised $700,000.

People who suffer permanent injuries from traumatic accidents often find that friends and family start to distance themselves. That wasn't the case with Cawley, who credits his support network with making all the difference.

"I had people come to see me from second and third grade," he said. "I was very lucky. It was a huge part of the recovery."

Another of Cawley's goals was to get married and have a family. He met that goal, too. He marred Mary Liz four years ago, and their third child is on the way.

People who don't know Cawley often express sympathy for Mary Liz, but those who do know him know better, she said. After 12 years of friendship and marriage, Mary Liz is still learning how to live from her husband. She can't remember a time when Cawley approached life as a disabled person or made anyone else feel the need to treat him that way.

"Life is hard, and we all have our challenges," she said. "I often will get into long conversations with him about things going on in my life, and sometimes I catch myself and feel silly that I've used up his time."

Welcoming their first child into the world was a joyous time for Cawley, but it brought with it a new kind of challenge. Cawley was used to attacking his own daily obstacles head-on, but he quickly realized the same approach wouldn't quite work when dealing with a stubborn child. "It was tougher than I thought it would be," he said.

With 2 1/2-year-old daughter Liza Jane, 14-month-old Lincoln Jix and their third child due in August, the couple have hired an au pair. Some parental tasks give Cawley trouble, but there's usually some way to compromise. He can't pick his children up off the ground, and it can take him 15 minutes or more to change a diaper. He can push his children in a swing, but he can't go exploring in the woods with them. But they have learned to climb into his lap with ease so they can play that way.

"I do what I can," he said. "I know it might sound clichéd, but I don't want to ever have them feel like they've been cheated because of me. I won't let it ever come to that."

Cawley recently returned to Physical Therapy because of shoulder and elbow pain. His arms essentially take up the workload of his legs by pushing around his wheelchair, so they're constantly being taxed, said Matt McGee, Cawley's personal trainer at Personal Fitness Training, located in Pro Physical Therapy in Branmar Plaza.

"A lot of Bill's movement is forward-type movement, which leads to overuse," McGee said. "We try to keep things balanced in his upper body. He'll try anything, and he has a great attitude."

Cawley's now preparing to share that positive attitude with more people by becoming a motivational speaker. The basic tenets of his message -- look forward, make the most of your choices, set goals and be committed -- have helped him make the most of his life since the accident.

"My life may have been different, but there's no guarantee it would be better," he said. "I love my life."

Contact In-Sung Yoo at 324-2909 or iyoo@delawareonline.com.