Walking with Anthony

SPINAL CORD INJURY AWARENESS MONTH

INTRODUCING SCI HEROES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

This September, we aim to raise SCI awareness by sharing 30 different stories from 30 individuals with SCI, highlighting their tragedies and triumphs each day on our social channels and website. Walking With Anthony receives thousands of grant applications every year from individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) in desperate need of help. Each story has the same underlying theme: these brave heroes need mental, physical, and financial guidance and support. 

SCI HERO

Jordan Rice

Jordan was having a normal summer like any other 16 year old boy, lifting wieghts for football, hanging with his friends, bothering his sister, spending time with family and eating us out of house and home!

Accidently, on June 22, 2022, while swmining at his best friend’s house, Jordan dove into the inground pool and misjudged the distance to the bottom and broke his neck. His brother and best friend heroically saved his life from drowning. Jordan and his mother were airlifted to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma. He has already undergone two major surgeries, with one being 10+ hours. Unfortunately, there are more to come.

Jordan’s neurosurgeon said, “This is a severe spine injury.” This means that anywhere under the injury (C5) is much harder to return to normal mobility. It’s not impossible but not highly likely. Any motion, movement or feeling this week would be a great sign, so we have to wait. (Please keep praying!)

Jordan has been super responsive and slowly moving his shoulders, hands, biceps and wrists. He can open his eyes, wants to talk and respond with head motions to us when we speak to him. The doctors were happy with the surgery in the end – it was long, but they accomplished what they set out to.

Jordan has been put in an upright chair multiple times since surgery to help get the blood flowing and to help his lungs. He is still on a ventilator, but they are making strides to have him breathe independently. He is almost there.

The goal is to get him to rehab to work on any mobility we can save.

Jordan is in good spirits as he progresses and moves towards rehab which looks like he will move there in next couple days.

He has had his eating tube completely taken out, he is learning how to talk with the trachea, he is eating hard foods and he loves tuna sandwiches from Subway, Cookies & Sweet Tea!!

He is having sporadic feelings of pressure in his lower body and working on moving his arms and shoulders.

We have begun the renovations on the new home Jordan is moving into.

We had a miracle take place. Through an angel who found out about our situation, he connected us to someone who got Home Depot to donate building supplies to build Jordan a new bathroom.

Again, thank you for everything to date. We truly would not be where we are without you!

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More SCI Heroes

Please share these stories during the month of September to help us raise awareness for spinal cord injury:

SCI Heroes

Ian Malesiewski

I was wrestling at the junior freestyle and Greco world team trials. It was my first match of the Greco portion of the tournament and I threw my opponent. I landed hitting the mat with my...

Rhonda Williams
SCI Heroes

Rhonda Williams

I am a C5 C6 quadriplegic who had a car accident when I was 16 in 1989 in Virginia. Through the many years of living as a quadriplegic I have had ebbs and flows. I met my husband while living in...

David Wieselmann
SCI Heroes

David Wieselmann

I was Mt. Biking with friends up in Vermont after work. We were cutting down a hill at the very end of run, and my front wheel sunk in some soft dirt. I went over the handlebars and did a...

Stephanie Nichols-Rodas
SCI Heroes

Stephanie Nichols-Rodas

I had a car accident May 6th,2017, early in the morning on my way to work. Another car was going to hit me, so I swerved and hit a concrete median while merging on to the freeway. I flipped 3...

Eden Hoelscher
SCI Heroes

Eden Hoelscher

On December 23, 2015, our five-year-old daughter, Eden, collapsed on the ground after doing a backbend on our living room floor. Within 30 minutes, she was paralyzed from the waist down. She was...

Rebecca Koltun
SCI Heroes

Rebecca Koltun

On March 13, 2021, I was skiing with some friends in Vermont. While I do not recall the day itself, I was told that I had a very bad fall. I woke up in a hospital in New Hampshire, paralyzed from...

Rob Balucas
SCI Heroes

Rob Balucas

hey, i’m rob This part of my story starts in 2015. That year was a shaping up to be a breakout year for my business and me. My business, a boutique creative agency, was on track to grow by 12%...

Stevie VanAusdale
SCI Heroes

Stevie VanAusdale

I was in a car accident the summer going into my junior year of high school. I was with 4 friends. We made the poor choice of throwing water bottles at other cars, which caused one car to chase...

Casey Ellin
SCI Heroes

Casey Ellin

On June 1st, 2013, when Casey was only 26 years old, he had an accident at Jones Beach that forever changed his life. After diving into the ocean, he fractured his C4 – C6 vertebrae, leaving him...

Michael Kim
SCI Heroes

Michael Kim

38 years old father of two young children, PARALYZED. This fund is set up for Mike's family during a time of incredible heartache, to help them navigate a long road of recovery and treatment....

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DISCLAIMER:

Walking With Anthony receives thousands of grant applications every year from individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) in desperate need of help. Although we are not able to directly support every individual, for your participation you will receive valuable resources regarding mentorship, mental health, community, advice, and education to help you on your SCI journey. 30 stories will be chosen to share on social media, and those individuals will also receive $200 of wellness supplements to aid in their recovery.

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