When life-threatening tornadoes tore through the midwest last year, the Koehn family home in Tennessee was unfortunately decimated. 14-year-old Kyle was badly injured, along with both his parents. Kyle had a spinal fracture that involved every vertebrae in his back, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. He was transferred to a hospital in St. Louis, but was unable to see his parents for the first six weeks of his recovery because they were managing their own physical ailments from the disaster. Kyle knew getting back on his feet was going to be a challenge, but he wasn’t ready to give up. Kyle spent months working with physical therapists and doctors, slowly gaining the strength to walk on a treadmill and climb stairs. 3 months later, Kyle successfully walked out of the hospital on his own. His school rented a bus from Tennessee to St. Louis so his friends and family could watch Kyle walk again and celebrate his recovery.
Image via TODAY
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