Ski accident left teen paralyzed. His remarkable attitude leaves hope
SOUTH OGDEN, Utah - Max Togisala was a very active teenager and avid golfer, but a ski accident unexpectedly and suddenly turned him into a paraplegic, paralyzing him from the waist down.
In February, the 18-year-old went on a ski trip with friends at Sun Valley Resort in Idaho. He tumbled on his skis when coming down a slope on his first run on the first day of the trip. "I lost control, and it was pretty icy," he told FOX Television Stations. "And then, I was just going really fast."While he was in an Idaho hospital, doctors said that he fractured his spine.
He was then flown back home to Utah for surgery. RELATED: No dog left behind: Retired military K-9 with collapsed spinal cord gets new lease on life"They [doctors] never came out and said ‘you’re never going to walk again.’ They didn't want to be too pessimistic or optimistic," Max's mother, Amber, told FOX Television Stations.Video shows Max Togisala recovering in the hospital. (Cedit: Amber Togisala)However, Amber searched "T12 Spinal Cord Injury" online and realized because her son’s spine was completely severed, there was very little chance he would walk again.
Doctors told her every spinal cord injury is different and there’s always hope Max will recover. Max said the possibility of never walking again didn’t hit him until he started physical therapy.
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