Man Paralyzed On Vacation Defies Doctors Expectations In His Fight To Stand Again
September 19, 2017
Dream Vacation Takes A Tragic Twist
Mike headed back into the water to catch one more wave on his surfboard as Jordan packed up their beach bags. Startled screams turned Jordan's attention to the water, where she saw bystanders pulling her fiancé's from the water.“It was absolutely terrible. You can tell that he was completely lifeless,” Jordan recalled. “It was literally a dead body on the beach. I was flailing all over him and they literally picked me up and threw me off of him.”RELATED: Hero Sees Lifeless Girl Pulled From Water, Then Comes To The Rescue While out in the water, a wave flipped Mike, slamming his head into the ocean's floor. The impact fractured his C1 vertebrae — one of the worst spinal cord injuries someone can have.
“I immediately knew I was paralyzed,” he said. “I remember trying to swim out of the ocean and I couldn’t move -- I couldn’t swim, I couldn’t do anything.”Credit: Jordan Lovas via People Doctors called Mike's injuries "the worst of the worst." And the prognosis didn't look good. They said he'd never walk, talk, or eat again. Friends and family rallied around him, and Jordan called for prayers.
"Please just keep him in your prayers. He's so strong, just needs some of our help right now," Jordan wrote on social media.
Man Paralyzed On Vacation Defies Doctors
With such a grim outlook, it would have been easy to give up. But Mike remained positive, determined to make progress. And folks kept praying. Six weeks after the accident, Mike spoke his first words, astounding the doctors. Two months later, he could drink water on his own rather than relying on an IV. And three weeks after that, he could wiggle one of his thumbs!“Doctors said that this was going to be it,” Mike said. “They told me to start an online business and just accept it.”RELATED: Woman Miraculously Survives A Freak Accident At The State Fair But Mike kept pushing, remaining positive. He even started thumb wrestling -- an amazing feat considering he'd been told he'd never regain any mobility below his chin.
"How is this happening?!" Jordan wrote on Facebook regarding the video of she and Mike thumb wrestling. "Everyone's prayers and miracles are happening. Being told everyday from the beginning that having the worst spinal cord injury he would never move past his injury... his chin. And here we are party rockin with the right thumb and now index finger!!!!!"
Fighting To Beat The Odds
Mike finally returned home roughly 3 months after the accident that changed everything. Though he maintained his positive attitude, adjusting to this new way of life was tough.“I had a dog that I loved who I had for 10 years and he didn’t even look at me the same,” he said. “I wasn’t able to pet him or throw a ball. He neglected me for about three weeks. I was in my home and not able to do the normal things that I could before.”RELATED: Nick Vujicic, a man born without arms or legs, explains how God saved him from suicide The two had yet to say their marriage vows, but Jordan proved her love was true, staying by Mike's side through sickness and health. She quit her job so she could stay home taking care of Mike.
Fiancée Champions For Man Paralyzed On Vacation
So, Jordan came up with a fitness plan for Mike, and helped him do physical therapy at home while she searched for other options. Determined to help the man she loves so dearly, Jordan began petitioning a local physical training company that helps people with spinal cord injuries called SCIFIT.“It was difficult for us to get in there too because they also don’t take people on ventilators,” he says. “But Jordan sent them all of these videos of me exercising and they agreed to meet with us.”When they saw how much progress Mike had already made on his own, the company agreed to work with him. Jordan is required to come with Mike every day for liability reasons, which she gladly agreed to do. Donations to a GoFundMe account helps with the out of pocket costs for the training, which totals around $2,000 a month.
Man Paralyzed On Vacation Making Miraculous Progress
But the prayers, training and Mike's relentless persistence is paying off. He continues to make strides."I already see so much improvement," Mike says. "A lot of things are coming back. They actually have hope I’ll walk again. My doctors are extremely shocked. When I went to show [my main doctor] my movements, she started crying."RELATED: Paralyzed Groom Standing For His Wedding And some big goals motivate Mike to keep going. He trains hard in the hopes he'll be able to stand at the altar on his upcoming wedding day, where he hopes to be able to put the ring on Jordan's finger.
“We can’t sleep next to each other and cuddle,” he says. “But when I get these movements back, all of the sudden I’m like, ‘Wow, I really might be able to put my arm around my fiancée,’ or ‘I might be able to stand next to her at my wedding.’ That’s what keep’s us going. The movement and progression.”
Peace In The Special Moments
Each victory, no matter how small, spurs the couple on. Little things we often take for granted, like holding hands."I got to hold her hands for the first time about two months ago," Mike recalled. "We both cried and then we video taped it and then we laughed. It was an amazing moment."
So, while the future is uncertain, one thing is for sure. These two are blessed to share such a deep love. And no matter what tomorrow holds, they will face it together.
“For the first time we’re hearing positive things,” Jordan says. “We’re ready for our lives if nothing changes, but we’re not ready to give up. We’re going to be okay -- we’re in this together.”We'll continue to pray for Mike's recovery. What an amazing reminder to never give up, even when the odds seem insurmountable! "Looking at them, Jesus said, 'With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.'" Matthew 19:26 h/t: People YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Teen Fights Threat Of Death & Paralysis Following Freak Accident
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Dealing with Family Rejection This Holiday Season - Your Daily Prayer - December 5
One of the best times of the year can also be one of the most difficult. Harvest décor leads into Christmas bells and lights. We fill the calendar slots with parties and events. This can create a low-level hum of anxiety if the upcoming family get-togethers feel like a risky walk through a minefield.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Dealing with Family Rejection This Holiday Season - Your Daily Prayer - December 5
One of the best times of the year can also be one of the most difficult. Harvest décor leads into Christmas bells and lights. We fill the calendar slots with parties and events. This can create a low-level hum of anxiety if the upcoming family get-togethers feel like a risky walk through a minefield.
Past Stories
- New York State Police Rescue Woman Needing a Heart Transplant Stranded in Snowstorm
- Born the Same Year the Titanic Sank, World's Oldest Man Dies at 112
- Family Receives Support From School and Community After Losing House in a Fire
- Soldier Reunites With His Military Dog Yyacob After Years Apart
- Chicago Man Discovers That The Owner Of The Bakery He Loved To Visit Was Actually His Mother
- Husband Pays For 40 Pet Adoptions At Shelter For His Wife's 40th Birthday
- Parents Find Healing After Loss of Son By Donating His Beloved Key Collection To Little Boy
- Mom Dances With Son At His Wedding After Being Placed in Hospice Care 2 Weeks Before
- Grandmother and Young Granddaughter Battling Cancer At the Exact Same Time
- Community Brings Christmas Joy to Virginia Woman With Just Weeks to Live
- Four Friends Recreate A Fun Vacation Photo From 50 Years Ago
- School in Arkansas Mourns the Loss of Their Beloved Emotional Support Dog Abby
- 93-Year-Old Has Made Sure To Attend Every High School Football Game Since 1946
- Texas Mom Doesn't Remember Delivering Triplets After Rare Complication After Birth
- United Airlines Pilot Buys Pizza For 155 Passengers After They Make An Unexpected Stop
- Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game
- Woman in Shock After Finding Winning Lottery Ticket At the Bottom of Her Purse
- Australian Couple Walks Into Their Bedroom To Find the Cutest Koala
- 5 Boys and Their Father Were Saved By Good Samaritan After Explosion
- Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
- Sisters Scream With Joy Watching Their 4-Year-Old Sister Take Her First Steps
- Her Mom Put a Message in a Bottle As a Child, 26 Years Later Her Classmate Found It
- This Missouri School Was Renamed After Their Much Loved and Dedicated Custodian
- Michael Strahan's Daughter is Now Cancer Free and Has Taught Him All About Perseverance
- These Two Newlyweds Found Love in Their Late 90s, After Meeting At Their Retirement Home
- Sisters Who Were Adopted By Separate Families Nearly 40 Years Ago Reunite After DNA Tests
- Oldest Living Person in the US Passes Away at 115, After a Long and Faithful Life
- At Just 20 and 22 Years Old, These Two Sisters From Minnesota Saved Their Family Farm
- After Over 450 Days in a Shelter, Boone and Rellie Find Their Forever Home, Together
- Sweet Kitten Named Coraline Loses Both Her Eyes, but Inspires Many with Her Spirit
- Donny Osmond Sees the 'End of the Tunnel' Coming After Performing for Over 6 Decades
- An Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee, Now Trying to Find Its Owner
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's Dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
- UPS Driver Jumps into Action As He Spots Elderly Woman on the Ground & Says It Was All God
- Rescuer Braces for the Worst After Spotting Kitten on the Side of the Road, Then Sees a Paw Move
- AJ Griffin Gives Up High-Paying Career with NBA to Follow God
- These Former Conjoined Twins Finally Go Home After Their First Birthday
- Teenager From Iowa Uses His Flying Skills to Help Hurricane Helene Victims
- Son Saves For 9 Months and Surprises Mom By Paying Off Her Mortgage
- Woman's Home is Surrounded By 100 Raccoons, and They Aren't Leaving Anytime Soon
- Dog Saves Her Owner's Life By Sitting in the Middle of the Road
- Widower Shares the Last Thing His Wife Told Their Son Before She Passed Away From Cancer
- A Nurse Saved Her Life 35 Years Ago, Now, She is Surprising Her With a Visit
- These Twin Sisters Have An Important Message To Share On Their 102nd Birthday
- This Brave 5-Year-Old Saved Her Mother's Life By Calling 911
- 79-Year-Old Broke Her Ankle After Scattering Her Mom's Ashes, Then Strangers Save the Day
- Dad Travels Through Mud and Debris to Walk His Daughter Down the Aisle
Top Music Videos
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Gaither Vocal Band Gaither Vocal Band - Mary, Did You Know? [Live]
Passion Music 'The Lord Will Provide' Passion And Landon Wolfe Live Performance
CCM Magazine 3 Doors Down’s Brad Arnold Shares Message of Faith During Nashville Concert
CCM Magazine Randall Goodgame’s ‘Scripture Hymnal’ | ‘In The Beginning’
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.