On September 2, 2006 while attending my cousin’s wedding at a mansion in San Antonio, Texas I fractured the C6 vertebrae in my neck. It was nearly 100 degrees that day and towards the middle of the evening, after the ceremony and dinner, everyone began jumping into a huge pool where the reception was held. At some point during the short time that everyone was in the pool I sustained my injury and was knocked unconscious. Immediately after, I was pulled from the pool and given CPR. Several people worked on me for the next few minutes until I was able to breath on my own. I spent the next 27 days in intensive care at Brooke Army Medical Center where I faced many critical days. The first couple of days turned out to be the most crucial. During that time I would undergo surgery to repair my spinal cord and to insert a titanium cage to stabilize my neck & spine. I was placed on a ventilator immediately to help stabilize my breathing because of the water that entered my lungs from the pool. I had a really hard time getting the fluids out of my lungs because I was unable to move and therefore, the fluids kept building up. The fluids eventually lead to me catch pneumonia. The doctors kept putting me on special beds that moved my body around or vibrated to attempt to loosen up the secretion in my lungs. They even put me on a bed where every part of my body was strapped down and the bed rotated side to side and upside down. Needless to say I was not on that bed for very long. I really do not remember much of the first three weeks in San Antonio, but the one thing I remember clearly is being on that bed, and how much I hated it! Once the fluids in my lungs began to move, and my temperature and blood pressure returned to normal, I was stable enough to fly back to Michigan. I really wanted to get back so I could see my family and friends, who I hadn’t seen in a while. I flew in a specialized airplane ambulance and when I landed, there was an ambulance there to take me to St. John’s Macomb hospital in Warren. It was so nice to be home after a month of being away and very reassuring to have a familiar place outside my hospital window! I only stayed at St. John’s for a week before I was moved to the University of Michigan to start rehabilitation. I am currently still at U of M and making great strides. There are many great people here who are helping me to achieve my goals. Twice a day I get hoisted into my wheelchair and head down to therapy. I go to occupational therapy in the morning, where I am learning to regain my everyday skills like eating and brushing my teeth. In the afternoon I go to physical therapy where I lift weights to regain the strength in my upper body. I currently have full use and range of motion in my arms. My fingers do not move, so I cannot write yet, but just last week I gained the ability to move the middle finger on my left hand. I believe that with time, I will be able to move all my fingers. I cannot move my legs, but I do have feeling in them, which is a very positive factor in walking again some day. I have many goals that I hope to achieve but I am going to take it one day at a time. I continue to keep a positive attitude, because I know that that it will play a significant roll in making a strong recovery. I believe that within time, and support from my family and friends, I will be able to rise above any challenges that I may face.