- Jun 27, 2017

Paralyzed- Trust and Believe in God

Never give up

I have a very strong faith in God and this helps me get through every single day. I am a fighter and will never give up on myself and will push hard to try to walk again. I have accepted that if I don't, my life is not over, it is just different now. I am hopeful after getting through rehab here at Craig Hospital I will be able to move back to California and be with my parents. I really don't know what I would have done if my Dad wouldn't have been able to be here with me since my surgery. He has been my rock and knows exactly how to help me when my anxiety is so bad I feel like I might die. I am scared of what it will be like when he leaves on the 28th and do not have him with me all the time. My Mom is an amazing woman as well. She has not been able to come and see me since I got hurt but spends a lot of time texting and FaceTiming me showing me all her love and support. Her and my Dad will switch places on the 28th and my Mom will get to stay with me until July 5th and then she too will have to return to California.

Asking for Help

The hospital is gracious enough to provide 30 days of free hotel so that my parents can be close and help me transition and learn how to help me too after discharge. Becasue I will be here 2-4 months, and the financial strain, my parents can only split the 30 days to be here for me at the beginning and end of my treatment. I understand this is not possible with the mounds of medical costs that have already been accrued, as well as the continued cost to care for me now and in the future. It's just scary going through all of this and not having anyone close by to be a daily support. My parents have set up a gofundme page in hopes to help with my medical costs, future equipment and treatments, as well as raising money to make it possible for my Dad to stay here in Denver with me at a nearby hotel or the onsite housing at a discounted rate through the hospital.

Due to my age and my parents living in another state, if onsite housing becomes available this would be an option to have my biggest support person just across the street from me when I need him the most. If anyone reading my story is able to donate to help me and my family it would be greatly appreciated at www.gofundme.com/please-help-jordan-drake-and-family.

My mom will keep you all updated on my progress here at Craig and hopefully we can figure out how to share videos of the things I can do since my surgery.

My Family

I had my mom add some more pictures that include my siblings and one of my neices. I am a very proud uncle to two beautiful little girls. I am so happy they were able to visit me while they were in Colorado from South Dakota with my oldest sister. The picture of all of is my sisters, Brittany, Taylor and Hope and of course my identical twin brother Jacob and myself. We made this collage for my dad for Father's Day this year.

Some of the other pictures show a few from when this journey all began and picturess of the things I have done with physical therapy before being moved to Craig. As you can see I take any chance I get to be outside enjoying the beautiful weather. One of my favorite pictures is of my neice Finley pushing me in my wheelchair. She will be 2 in July.

About me....Hi. I am 19 yrs old and an identical twin. I have 3 sisters and the most loving and caring mom and dad that live in California. I miss my dogs, Callie, Buster and Murphy, and wish they could come visit me. I was paralyzed on May 21, 2017 from an infection in my spine after falling off my skateboard on May 18, 2017 while in Colorado. Right now I am a paraplegic and just went to rehabilitation at Craig Hospital in Denver CO on June 22, 2017. I hope to be able to walk again someday and am so thankful to be alive and being able to have my Dad by my side since my surgery and becoming paralyzed. We are sharing my story to inform others and for parents to advocate for their kids when they know something just isn't right. My paralysis could have been prevented if the right tests had been done in the ER on my first visit, possibly even my 2nd or 3rd visit. Instead I woke up four days after my fall, still in excruciating pain, but could no longer move my legs. Until this happened the hospital never did an MRI to check why I was in so much pain, instead they spent their time saying I was a liar, pumped me up with pain meds, muscle relaxers and sent me home. The infection was so severe in my spine that it was close to traveling to my heart and could have killed me. After 3 hours of emergency surgery my parents were called and told I may never walk again an could be a paraplegic the rest of my life. They also said that if the proper diagnostic tests had been done, the infection would have been caught and treated 4 days earlier, when I still had full function and mobility and I would not be paralyzed today. My parents and I don't want anyone else to go through what we have the last few weeks. This is not something me or my parents would have ever happened to me, nor did we realize it could happen from a spill off a skateboard. Listen to yourself, parents listen to your kids, and make the doctors do their jobs to ensure your child's health and safety. I know my mom would have done everything humanly possible if she had been in the ER with me the first visit. She is a nurse and would have never let them just keep pumping me full of meds that didn't even touch the pain i was enduring. Believe an trust in God. HE is our strength and we trust HE will guide and take care of us all during this very difficult time.

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