On the evening of April 23, 2017, Nolan Thomas McDonnell, a student at The College of Desert from San Jose, CA, was shot in the head during a robbery attempt in his car. He was surrounded by a group of five individuals, one of which was armed with a handgun. While Nolan found himself surrounded, he still refused to roll down his windows and in response, one of the assailants opened fire, sending a bullet through the left side of his skull and out the right. He was immediately sent to Desert Regional Medical Center where he experienced six months as a paraplegic with both upper and lower body paralysis and complete loss in motor and fine motor skills (the ability to walk and write). Despite being told by his doctor that he wouldn’t be able to walk again, Nolan's recovery journey has been a tough uphill process. For more than 2 years now, his hard work under careful Physical Therapy regimens and constant optimism has helped him regain mobility in his lower body, allowing him to finally stand up straight with moderate assistance.


Clearly, physical therapy plays an impactful role in Nolan’s recovery process; however, Nolan’s insurance covers only enough for two physical therapy sessions a week, slowing down his recovery rate and process. His Physician and Physical Therapist have noted that Nolan’s therapy sessions are crucial in his attempt to walk again without assistance, meaning he would have to attend more therapy sessions being paid out of pocket by Nolan’s family. In the first year alone, Nolan’s family has spent over $86,000 out of pocket to cover his surgeries and therapy sessions. These out of pocket costs continue to create a financial burden for Nolan and his family but are essential to Nolan’s journey to start walking again. 


The treatment that will bring him the greatest physical and psychological improvement in this rehabilitation journey is at “Next Step”.  This is a state-of-the-art facility offering a program of activity-based paralysis recovery therapy that will allow Nolan to practice assisted walking. However, this part of his rehabilitation comes with an estimated cost of $5,900 for a two-month training program at this facility. While this treatment is far more expensive than physical therapy, having access to consistent locomotor and gait training will greatly benefit him in achieving his goal of walking independently.


Over the last two years, Nolan has created a large following of people tracking his amazing journey.  He communicates incessantly through his social media, and has published an autobiographical book, Power of Perspective. This very personal narrative is the story of the physical and emotional struggles he has faced and how he strives to overcome them by adopting a positive outlook on life. With his determination and unrelenting optimism, Nolan’s energy will surely continue to accelerate his recovery; however, he needs your financial support. Nolan should not be deprived of the necessary treatments needed for full recovery because of a dollar sign. Doctors, friends, and family are now sure that Nolan will walk again if he can get this “Next Step” funded and started right away. 

“The options were I could prepare to suffer, or prepare to heal” - Nolan Thomas  

 Organized on behalf of Kathy Parker, Nolan's Mother.