MT. HOOD, Ore. — After an unfortunate accident that left him paralyzed neck down, a student at Southern Utah University climbed the tallest peak in Oregon.
When Vishal Shukla was 23, he was in a body surfing accident in California where he broke his neck and was paralyzed in all four limbs. After surgery, he got some devastating news.
“It’s something that a 23-year-old kid never wants to hear. And the exact words were: 'We do not think you’ll walk,'” explained Shukla.
Shukla spent half his life living in Richfield, Utah, and goes to school at SUU. After rigorous training — physically and mentally — he said his recovery is nothing short of a miracle.
“I can use my hands, I can use my arms, I can move around, but my paralysis still affects me to a pretty considerable degree,” said Shukla. “For example, my triceps are still pretty paralyzed — I can’t do a push-up. My grip strength is only a third of what it used to be.”
Fast forward 14 months and Shukla is not just walking, but climbing mountains. This week, he summited Mount Hood — something not many people can accomplish, let alone people once paralyzed in all four limbs.
"It was definitely a pretty strenuous climb,” recounted Shukla. “But I have absolutely nothing but sheer gratitude for my friends and the crew that we had up there.”
He credits his progress to the teams at Intermountain Health in Murray and physical therapists at Neuroworx in Sandy.
“Thanks to the entire team, the physical therapists, occupational therapists and doctors — everyone did such an amazing job," he said.
Shukla also turned his journey into a way to give back to a place that helped him get back on his feet.
“One of the first thoughts I feel like most people have is that you just don’t want anyone else to go through such a similar experience," he said.
So he decided to raise funds for families at Neuroworx who might not be able to afford the kind of care they need.
“That money will cover continued rehab sessions that other people’s insurance will unfortunately no longer cover," he said.
Donations to Shukla's cause can be made on a GoFundMe page HERE.
