Fresno Boy Dances His Way to Recovery from Spinal Cord Injury

Seven-year-old Bruce Mansy suffered a devastating spinal cord injury six months ago in a horrible car accident. According to a KFSN news report, Bruce was paralyzed from the waist-down. Bruce father, Samuel Mansy, was driving his kids home. He pulled into an intersection when another driver drove into his path. He says he attempted to hit the brake, but it was too late. In the collision that occurred, Bruce’s spine was broken and doctors said he would never walk again. It was a devastating blow to the family.

Watch Bruce dance:

But thanks to a therapy organization called Project Walk, Bruce’s love of dance is making a comeback. The boy says he simply loves to dance. Strapped to a harness, he does the “whip,” the “nae nae” and “dab.” He is apparently making progress. His mother says Bruce has been able to wiggle his toes and clench his legs. His doctors had not even given him or his family any hope for that. But, his progress has been miraculous. And that’s the reason, his parents are continuing with his dance therapy.

Spinal Cord Injury Statistics

According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, about 250,000 Americans live with spinal cord injuries. About 52 percent of injured individuals are considered paraplegic and 47 percent are quadriplegic. About 11,000 new injuries occur each year.

The average age of a person who suffers spinal cord injuries in the United States is 31. Spinal cord injuries are most commonly caused by auto accidents (37 percent), violence (28 percent), falls (21 percent) and sports-related (6 percent). A majority of patients (89 percent) are discharged from hospitals to a private home and 4.3 percent are discharged to nursing homes.

Living with a Spinal Cord Injury

It could be extremely costly to live with a spinal cord injury. Having such an injury could present life-changing consequences. When a person is paralyzed as the result of a spinal cord injury, there is no cure. The rehabilitation team can generally only provide support, training and resources to help patients move toward new goals. Adapting to life with a spinal cord injury can also be quite challenging.

Patients may go into depression because they worry about their lost abilities. Some have little to no hope especially when doctors tell them they can never walk again. It is important that patients and families have a strong support network and resources. Caring for a person with a spinal cord injury can also be difficult. The cost of caring for a person with a spinal cord injury could run into millions of dollars over a person’s lifetime.

Seeking Compensation

When a spinal cord injury is caused by someone’s negligence or wrongdoing, the injured victims may be entitled to seek compensation for their tremendous losses. Injured victims in such cases can seek compensation for damages such as medical expenses, lost wages, hospitalization, rehabilitation, surgeries, permanent injuries, disabilities and past and future pain and suffering. In such cases, an experienced Sacramento spinal cord injury lawyer can help victims and their families secure maximum compensation for their losses.