In Search of the Human Spirit

7 months ago, Chris Rodriguez was a normal 10 year old. Then some thug shattered his world. Rodriguez was taking music lessons at a music school in Oakland, California. Unbeknownst to him, a robbery was taken place outside the building. One of the robbers fired his gun. The bullet went through the wall of the music school and hit Rodriguez in the side. The bullet paralyzed him from the waist down.

This kid is a fighter though. He’s been trying to build up his strength as he earned a coveted spot at the Oakland School for the Arts. He’ll start school there in September.

Rodriguez days are filled with pain, but he won’t give up. His spirit has caught the eye of many in the community who are hoping for his full recovery. One of those people is Dan Dumas, a real estate investor. Dumas broke his neck three years ago and could not do anything for himself. Using a type of neurological rehabilitation that combines exercise and electrical stimulation, Dumas regained the ability to walk with braces.

He opened up a rehab center in the San Francisco Bay Area to help others with similar injuries.

Dumas heard about Rodriguez. He is giving the family three months free services. He doesn’t want to give the kid false hope, but hopes that he will benefit from the exercises. Since he is young and has regained some movement in his hips and has feeling in his knees, there is hope for him. The treatment isn’t proven and there is some skepticism. Still, when you have little else to try, you might as well go for it.

I’m really rooting for this kid. He shows tremendous spirit after a tragedy. He’s my hero!