John LeMoine

John is a 24 year old Air Force airman who suffered a life changing spinal cord injury on July 5th, 2014 in a diving accident. He was in firefighting tech school in San Angelo and had a day off and went to the lake for some relaxation. He and his buddies were playing around on the beach and while trying to avoid hitting a child playing on the beach he jumped and tried to flip over him. He missed the child but landed on his neck and shattered his cervical spine (C-6), drowned and went into cardiac arrest. His firefighting buddies rescued him and saved his life. He was transported to a trauma facility where it was touch and go. He made it through all of this and is now in therapy at the Shepherd Spinal Center in Atlanta, GA. He is making slow but promising progress.

One of the intensive therapy programs available to John is a machine called the Lokomat. It is basically a robotic machine that helps a person walk again if there is any movement in the lower extremities. It has a 76% success rate of patients walking again. He started getting movement in his toes and started on this machine three weeks ago. It is recommended that he continue this for up to a year. This machine is not covered once his insurance time is up. This is his best chance to regain the ability to walk again.

To help with the financial burden of John’s uninsured expenses, a fundraising campaign in his honor has been established with HelpHOPELive, a trusted nonprofit organization.

His wish is to remain in the Air Force and continue to be a fellow airman and if at all possible to some how go toward the fire again. If anyone knows the heart of a fireman you know that they are the most selfless people in our lives. We are fortunate to have our Air Force family, our close friends at home and even strangers who have given us support and strength from the beginning.

If you would like information on locomotive therapy you can find it on the Christopher Reeves Foundation site: http://www.christopherreeve.org/site/c.ddJFKRNoFiG/b.5399935/k.E273/How_Locomotor_Training_works.htm