Users of a spinal cord injury forum reveal how they came to be paralyzed

My brother is/was in a wheelchair and has/had brain damage. I don't really know much about his condition as I have had no contact with him or my mother in over 30 years. To be completely honest, they could both be dead by now and I wouldn't know.

I was there the day he suffered his original injuries though. He was 6 and I was 8, I would turn 9 just 3 days after his accident.

My mum were having some work done on the outside of our home so there was scaffolding erected all around the property. We had been told not to play on it again and again but we kept on doing it.

One day my brother was playing on it while we were eating lunch. He fell and knocked himself out and choked on the mouthful of turkey sandwich he was eating. I saw it all happen but there was nothing I could do. It felt like time slowed down and I saw every little detail. I'll never forget the look on his face as we made eye contact while he was falling or the sound he made when he hit the floor.

The fall broke his back and due to choking his brain was without oxygen for over 4 minutes. He couldn't speak or move his legs, he had some movement in his arms but it wasn't much. I don't know if he is/was aware or not.

He was my best friend but it feels like a different life. It was all so very long ago.

/r/MorbidReality Thread Link - sci.rutgers.edu