FACE-TO-FACE WITH A WARRIOR
Jordan’s passion was soccer. His dream was playing as a pro. That’s why this 14-year-old hopeful was playing in a tournament under a dome in mid-April, as an ice storm raged outside. Just minutes after he’d been subbed off the field, a massive, van-sized slab of ice on the dome’s roof caused the tarp wall to collapse. The ice slab crushed Jordan and the metal bench he was sitting on.
Jordan is Why we fight
SickKids VS: Jordan’s Trauma
AN ATHLETE’S REFLEXES
Jordan’s quick reflexes saved him – he had assumed a brace position. Had he been standing, the ice would have hit his head, killing him instantly. Had it hit lower, he would have been paralyzed. Instead, the ice crushed his spine between the T12 and L5 vertebrae. His mother, Margaret, remembers his cries as they waited for the ambulance: “My back, my back! I can’t breathe.”
With the great support I received at SickKids, it encouraged me to fight and get stronger!
SICKKIDS SAVED HIS SPINE. AND HIS MOBILITY
The first hospital to which Jordan was taken realized he needed SickKids expertise. When he arrived at SickKids, a whole new team gathered around him: trauma specialists, general surgeons, spinal surgeons and neurosurgeons. Given the extent of his spinal damage, they were amazed he could still wiggle his toes.
In an 11-hour surgery, doctors aligned, decompressed and fused his shattered spine, using bone from his hip and metal rods and screws. Doctors also tended to his other internal injuries, which included a collapsed lung.
The battle continued after surgery. Through pain, an atrophied right leg, and lots of rehab, Jordan kept going. He says, “Despite my condition, I always knew deep down that I had great support from so many. That really helped keep me focussed mentally, in a very positive way.”
Today, he’s walking and back at school. And yes – while his dream of pro soccer had to be shelved – he’s kicking a ball around.
WHY SICKKIDS? WHY BE A WARRIOR?
Take it from Jordan. This is what he has to say about being a Warrior: “After my accident I had to keep pushing myself to get better. With the great support I received at SickKids, it encouraged me to fight and get stronger! I encourage you to push through all your obstacles too, knowing that you will be helping such a great hospital that helps so many kids!” We didn’t add the exclamation marks. They’re Jordan’s – emphasizing how much he believes in the fight at SickKids. And how much he believes in the power of SickKids Warriors.
Jordan Pedro is a SickKids patient. Thanks, Jordan, for encouraging SickKids Warriors to give their all, both in their events and their fundraising.
