From riding a motorcycle to riding a wheelchair
- Dec 12, 2018
- 2 min read
Unstoppable
My name is Paulo Manuel Guerrero and I was 19 years old at the time of my accident which left me a T3 complete. On Canada day I was riding my motorcycle coming back from a friend's when I was involved in an accident. I was hit from the back and proceeded to roll until coming to an abrupt halt thanks to a parked car. I was laying on the ground and I remember thinking I can't feel my legs. I tried to get but couldn't. Tried to sit up but couldn't. At this point, I realized what happened. I broke several of the vertebrae in my back but was left a paraplegic. I also broke my neck but luck was on my side because I was 1 centimeter away from being quadriplegic. At this point, I went into surgery and remember waking up scared and confused but most of all I felt alone. Everyone felt sorry but no one understood what I was going through. I was down on myself and the first few weeks were some of the hardest of my life, but with great support from the people around me I was able to pull myself out of the rut and start to be me again. Recovery took a while because of all the broken bones but once I got better I kept trying to pursue the things I love by getting back into an array of sports and really understanding to enjoy the little things because you never know when they might get taken away. I count myself blessed by my friends and family and relationship that really believed in me when I didn't. Now I'm 20 and find myself going back to rehab more and more often to talk to the people there and give them hope by being someone they can talk to and confide in. Currently, I'm training while waiting to go back into school to pursue my dream of being a therapist to help the community around me as they once did.
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