Joe Colgan

Joe Colgan

HelpHOPELive Mid-Atlantic Spinal Cord Injury Fund

It was Memorial Day weekend 2006 and I had decided to help my father build a ramp for a friend of ours who was a quadriplegic. I spent the night at my friend’s house, exhausted from working in the hot sun all day and decided to leave early the next morning.

I left about 7am the next morning, my motorcycle wouldn’t start and just when I was about to give up, it started. I remember it being cold but I don’t remember much of what happened. I know it happened fast, and the next thing I knew I was in the woods. I remember someone asking me if I was ok and I immediately knew I wasn’t when I tried to get up and couldn’t. I yelled to them “NO! I can’t feel my legs” and they called 911.

The next thing I remember was waking up in the Trauma Unit of Westchester Medical Center in NY. I was hooked up to all kinds of machines. I knew in my head but I refused to ask and none of the doctors said anything.

So here I am, paralyzed. T-6, T-7 incomplete, hoping everyday they find a way to fix me…to fix anyone who’s paralyzed.

I’m registered with the HelpHOPELive to help me raise money for things I’m going to need in the future, for help with medical bills, etc.

Any help is greatly appreciated.