GAME NUMBER FOUR? NOW FROM
MINNESOTA'S MOST WATCHED
STATION THIS IS WCCO4 NEWS .
THINKS FOR JOINING US AND FOR
THE FIRST TIME WE'RE HEARING
FROM A YOUNG FATHER WHO BECAME
PARALYZED AFTER DIVING ACCIDENT
LAST SUMMER. HE WAS ON LAKE
MINNETONKA ONE ,20 KIRK INGRAM
DOVE INTO SHALLOW WATER AND
CRUSHED HIS SPINE.
THAT MOMENT THAT I DOVE IN I
WAS NOT ABLE TO TURN MY HEAD
WHATSOEVER AND I CAN VIVIDLY
REMEMBER THAT. KIRK IS NOW
PARALYZED FROM THE CHEST DOWN
AND HAS BEEN HOSPITALIZED THE
PAST NINE MONTHS AND JUST WENT
HOME LAST FRIDAY.
TODAY ANGELA DAVIS SPOKE WITH
HIM ABOUT HIS ROAD TO RECOVERY,
HIS HOPES AND HIS REGRETS.
GRAVITY IS NOT MY FRIEND AT
THIS TIME.
I HAVE SOME MOVEMENT AGAINST
GRAVITY.
LAST AUGUST KIRK AND HIS
WIFE MELISSA HAD JUST BECOME
PARENTS AND THEIR DAUGHTER WAS
TWO WEEKS OLD.
TODAY ALEXA IS NINE MONTHS OLD
AND KIRK IS UNABLE TO HOLD
HER. I CAN TALK WITH HER AND
MY WIFE HAS BEEN GREAT ABOUT
PUTTING HER UP ON MY LAP AND
GIVING VISUAL CUES LIKE BEING
ABLE TO TOUCH HER.
SHE WILL GRAB MY ARM.
THAT IS NICE.
THREE DAYS A WEEK KIRK IS
HERE AT THE REHABILITATION
INSTITUTE GOLDEN VALLEY WORKING
TO GET BACK TO WORK.
HE WAS AN IT PROJECT MANAGER AT
TARGET AND HE SAYS THE COMPANY
IS HOLDING A POSITION OPEN FOR
HIM BUT HAS TO LEARN HOW TO
OPERATE A COMPUTER USING THE
PATIENT SOFTWARE.
DICTATION SOFTWARE.
JUST TO GIVE SHORT COMMANDS
TO ALLOW ME TO GET AROUND THE
COMPUTER AS WELL AS TYPE AND
USE MY MOUTH. SEVERAL THERAPY
TUBS ARE HELPING KIRK GET
STRONGER INCLUDING SPENDING
TIME IN THE FOOT POOL WHERE HE
CAN FLOAT TO MAKE MINOR
MOVEMENTS.
HE HAS A TINY MUSCLE
CONTRACTION IN THE WATER AND HE
CAN GET REALLY BIG MOVEMENT
WHICH IS GREAT.
HE CAN BUILD UP STRENGTH.
HE REMAINS OPTIMISTIC BUT IT
IS CLEAR HE WORRIES ABOUT BEING
A GOOD FATHER. THERE WILL
OBVIOUSLY BE AN ENCOUNTER THIS
WILL BE DIFFERENT.
I CANNOT STOP HER FROM GOING
PLACES. TERESA INGRAM IS
KIRK'S MOTHER. IT IS HARD AND
IT IS EXCITING AND I AM SO
BLESSED IS STILL HERE, I HAVE
TO REMIND MYSELF BECAUSE IT IS
HARD TO SEE THAT HE CANNOT HOLD
HER.
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE THE
FAMILY STILL WITH HUGE MEDICAL
EXPENSES AND IT IS ONE OF THE
REASONS KIRK SO DETERMINED TO
RETURN TO WORK, HE DOES HAVE
INSURANCE COVERAGE RIGHT NOW
THROUGH WIFE BUT IT DOESN'T
COVER THE COST OF THE THERAPY
SESSIONS OF THE MEDICAL
EQUIPMENT HE NEEDS.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO HELP BUT IT OF
BCCI.COM/LINKS AND FIND OUT HOW
TO HELP THE FAMILY, WONDERFUL
