Real Answers is a place for you to ask questions to people who have suffered similar injuries to you.
My name is Bonnie Peeters Tuscany and on April 29th, 2006 I received a phone call that no mother ever wants to receive; my son Roy had been paralyzed in a ski accident, while skiing in Mammoth, CA. It was obvious that he would need to use every bit of his will, determination and positive attitude to overcome this injury. I still remember walking in the intensive care unit and the first thing he did was give me a huge smile, and my thought at that moment was that he will somehow surpass all that was expected of him, and he has. It has been over 5 years since Roy’s injury now, and I cannot even begin to list all of the accomplishments beyond just the physical improvements that he has made. He is an inspiration to me and to so many others, and watching Roy achieve goal after goal in such a short time has made me beyond proud as a mother.
From a young age it was clear that Steven had a love for the sport of skiing, and it eventually led to a successful race career while attending Stratton Mountain School in Southern Vermont. Steven attended college in South Carolina, and after graduation he was reunited with the sport that he loved when he moved out to Lake Tahoe, CA in 2007. On April 10, 2008, while skiing with friends at Squaw Valley, Steven had a catastrophic ski accident that left him paralyzed. Steven was originally given a 50% chance of walking by doctors, and since then he has made amazing strides toward making a full recovery. The accomplishments that Steven has made in the last 3 years have made me a very proud mother.
On July 4th, 2010 my son Landon was involved in a downhill bike accident that left him paralyzed. As we look back on that day there is sadness and regrets, but our hearts are mostly filled with pride for the courage and determination that Landon has shown. He has taken his new role with a vengeance and hasn’t looked back. We see many wonderful things in Landon’s future and cannot wait to share them with everyone. I would love to answer any questions from a mother’s point of view, so please feel free to ask anything.
The usual GPA did not necessarily measure Phillip’s success at the University of Vermont, but rather by how many ski days he had that year. Upon graduation in 2005, Phillip moved to the Lake Tahoe area where he used to visit his aunt for spring breaks.
On 1/1/2011 I got a phone call saying that Phillip had burst fractured his C5 vertebrae in a ski accident at Squaw. The next day at Renown Hospital Phillip underwent a successful surgery and we were told that there was no significant spinal cord damage. Since receiving that positive news Phillip has worked very hard in physical therapy and plans to ski Squaw Valley again in the near future, and I plan on being there.
My name is David Toumarkine, and on the 3rd of January, 2011 my son Danny suffered a TBI while snowboarding at a Montana ski resort. For the next four weeks Danny was in the ICU in a terrific hospital in Great Falls, Montana with a neurosurgeon, Dr. Gorsuch. who is an unbelievable doctor, craftsman, artist, and person. It is now six months down the road, and Danny is back on his feet after a lot of care and love by a wonderful assortment of caregivers and friends. We are all incredibly lucky to have Danny back--he has truly made an astounding recovery, one for the record books, and we're totally pleased.
So many people have been incredibly helpful and eager to answer any questions that I had at the time, and I found these telephone exchanges invaluable, so please feel free to e-mail me at any time, and I'll try to be as helpful to you as the people were who helped me.
Disclaimer: Real Answers provides real answers from real athletes to real questions from real people. The athletes will answer your questions based on their own personal learning experiences in recovering from life-altering injuries. None of our athletes is a licensed professional. They cannot give you professional advice. If you need medical advice, consult your doctor. If you need legal advice, consult a lawyer. If you need architectural advice, consult an architect.
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