September was a very important month for 53-year-old Paul Bower of Overland Park , Ks. He responded to several dozen e-mails for work; walked down the hall with only the assistance of a walker; and scratched his nose for the first time since March. Those might not sound like significant accomplishments for most of us, but they were huge steps on Paul’s road to recovery. And they were milestones that he never would have reached without the help of the Rehabilitation Institute .

To understand how far Paul has come, you must turn back the calendar to March of this year. Paul took his family to Cancun , Mexico for spring break. Less than three hours after arriving at their hotel, they decided to go for a swim in the ocean. The scenery was beautiful. Everyone was having a great time, when suddenly a big wave knocked Paul off balance, slamming his head into the ocean floor. He heard a pop and was unable to move. His son and brother-in-law spotted Paul floating facedown in the water. They rushed over to rescue Paul, or he probably would have drowned.

They brought Paul to shore just as two emergency room nurses from the U.S. happened to be passing by on the beach. They determined that Paul had a serious spinal cord injury. Doctors in Cancun told Susie Bower that her husband needed emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his spine. The doctors removed a piece of bone to relieve the pressure, but said the prognosis was grim. Paul was paralyzed and they weren’t certain if he’d ever regain the use of his arms and legs.

Paul spent four weeks at a rehabilitation hospital in Houston , Texas , before coming home. The future looked bleak. Susie wondered what they would do. Would Paul ever be able to work again? What physical changes would they need to make to their house, and how would they afford everything?

Luckily for Paul he had insurance through work, a family that cares, and good friends that he and Susie had made over the years through church, their children’s school and other community activities. Together they all pitched in to raise money for things that the Bowers’ insurance didn’t cover and they physically remodeled the Bowers’ home so Paul could get around in a wheelchair. But Paul refused to spend the rest of his life as an invalid. He was determined to walk again and vowed to return to work.

In June, Paul started going to the Rehabilitation Institute of Kansas City for therapy, three days a week. CFC funding helps cover some of the costs that insurance doesn’t pay and allows the Institute to help other patients who have no insurance.

At the Rehabilitation Institute, with the help of physical therapists, Paul slowly began to regain use of his arms and legs. Paul says, “I can now move my arms up to my head and on July 10th I took my first step since the accident. I am making progress.” Through the Rehabilitation Institute’s adaptive technology program, Paul is learning to use a voice-activated computer and telephone. The specially designed software recognizes his speech patterns and writes what he dictates. Paul says, “It allows me to write e-mail, memos and letters through dictation. I’m able to stay in contact with my customers and work from home several hours a week.”

Paul still has a long way to go in his quest to become self-sufficient again, but he’s optimistic that one day he will. He says, “With the help of the Rehabilitation Institute , I know the day will come when I will be able to feed myself, dress myself, walk on my own and even play some golf.”