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May
19
2018

After Suffering a Spinal Cord Injury 30 Months Ago, Ty Williams Walks Across the Stage to Obtain His Diploma

 

 

Good evening, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) sports fans.

We’re stepping out of the ACC tonight to talk about Georgetown senior, Ty Williams.

Georgetown Coach Rob Sgarlata had seen Ty Williams, a junior linebacker, make the play dozens of times. A St. Francis tight end came open in the end zone. Williams sprawled to knock the pass away. He did, but at the last minute, the receiver lunged for one last chance at the ball.

Williams felt a tingle in his neck, and then pain spread down his spine. He tried to do a push-up and get back in the huddle, but he couldn’t move his extremities.

At a nearby hospital, the diagnosis was “C6 incomplete”: a fractured vertebra that left partial feeling in his lower body but not the ability to will it to movement.

Doctors strategically never told the Gaithersburg, Md., native whether he’d walk again. On Saturday, he answered that question.

With the help of a walker and a large brace, Williams walked across the stage as his name was called at Georgetown graduation. Volunteers stood in front and behind him to help Williams keep his balance.

At the end of the stage, he threw himself into a hug with Jack DeGioia, president of the university.

Oh, and I’m not crying, you are.  Because you’re seeing him walk below:

Too often we see the negative with sports – here we’re seeing someone who was told he’d never walk again go across the stage and get his diploma.

Oh, and I’m not crying, you are.

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