On Saturday August 24th, Greg was in a terrible hang gliding accident. He was flying near Monroe, Utah, and getting ready to land after a two hour flight. As he was approaching, an incredibly powerful and rare downdraft slammed him into the ground from about 15 feet in the air. In less than 2 seconds, he hit face and chest first. When the paramedics reached him he had no feeling or movement in his body.
Thanks to the fast action of his friends on the ground, the EMT'S and the life-flight, Greg ended up at the University of Utah the next day with his spine surgeon, Dr. Brandon Lawrence. He had a cracked neck and swelling all around his spinal cord. He was operated on right away with what we've been told are very successful results. Five years ago, Dr. Lawrence had done a fusion in Greg's neck from C3 to C7, and a fusion in his lower back two years before that. If not for the metal plate and the fused bones in Greg's neck, the outcome from this crash could have been much worse.
Fortunately, Greg's arms and feet regained some movement right away, which is an excellent sign. While this is all good news, we still have a long way to go. Greg moved to the inpatient rehabilitation unit at the U on Wednesday, and they expect him to be there for about 6 weeks. Through lots of rehab and hard work, we all expect him to walk out. He will need all the love and encouragement that has been showered on him this past week, and more, to get him through this long process. The outpouring of love has already made such a difference - please keep it up here.
