Ryan’s Recovery Journey After Spinal Cord Injury

Hi, my name is Ryan Lake, and I want to share what happened to me and why I’m asking for your support.

One ordinary day, I was standing in my backyard enjoying the fresh air. My wife came outside, and I turned to say hello. In that moment, I felt a sharp pop in my neck—and everything changed.

I collapsed to the ground, suddenly unable to move anything below my neck. I was terrified. Lying there, paralyzed, I told my wife goodbye because I truly thought I was dying. She screamed for help, trying to get the attention of my mom and daughter inside to call 911.

I was rushed to the trauma unit at Bayfront Health in St. Petersburg. After a series of emergency scans and a CT myelogram, I was diagnosed with a severe spinal cord injury at the C3–C4 level.

The next day, I underwent emergency spinal fusion surgery. But when I woke up, I was still unable to move. I had lost control of my body.

Since then, I’ve been fighting every day to regain what I’ve lost. Through physical and occupational therapy, I’ve slowly started to regain movement—first in my left arm, then in my legs and fingers. My right side remains weak, and I still experience full-body tremors, but I continue to push forward. Every day is a challenge, but every small victory—moving a finger, lifting a spoon, standing for a moment—fuels my determination.

This injury has turned our lives upside down. I now need constant care and multiple therapy sessions each day. My wife has stopped working to become my full-time caregiver. Our income has dried up, and we’re struggling to cover basic expenses like food, medication, and especially my health insurance, which is critical to continuing treatment and recovery.

How You Can Help

I’m humbly asking for your help to:

• Keep my health insurance active so I can continue physical therapy

• Afford life-saving medications and medical supplies

• Purchase specialty equipment needed for mobility and rehab

• Support my family while I fight to regain independence

This is the hardest battle I’ve ever faced, but I am not giving up. I’m learning how to walk again. How to feed myself. How to live again.

Your donation—no matter how small—makes a huge difference. If you can’t give, please share this with your friends, family, or community. Every share brings me closer to recovery.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for standing with me on this journey.

—Ryan Lake