A 15-year-old athlete in Long Beach, California, walked out of the hospital this week after suffering a paralyzing spinal injury.
This past Fourth of July weekend, Alessandro Apuzzo of Woodrow Wilson High School nearly lost his ability to walk when he severely injured his spine by diving headfirst into a sandbar, but this past Wednesday, after four months of therapy at Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital, he walked out to thunderous applause from family and friends.
“To see all the people who supported me, it’s awesome,” Apuzzo told reporters. “It just really makes me happy.”
His father, Jose Santos Loria, said the recovery has been “absolutely crazy.”
“His recovery in the last month has been absolutely crazy. It’s amazing,” said Apuzzo’s father. “It is Thanksgiving, so I can say… thank you to this community for all the support that we have received.”
Apuzzo has another six months of therapy to fully recovery, but doctors say he has a strong chance to fully heal.
Dr. Kimberly BeDell told ABC 7 that the injury to Apuzzo’s neck would have left most victims paralyzed for life, adding that his athleticism as a standout Water Polo player propelled him through the difficult challenge of getting back on his feet.
“He suffered three burst fractures of his cervical spine,” said BeDell. “He had an incomplete quadriplegia.”
Apuzzo told Eyewitness News he hopes to get back into doing athletic activities soon.
“I hope to get back to doing what I love, being in the water, surfing, bodyboarding, all of that,” he said. “And Happy Thanksgiving.”
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