A paralyzed college student, who was told he’d never walk again, was able to overcome the odds and walked across the stage at his graduation for his diploma last weekend.
USA Today noted that Chris Norton suffered a spinal cord injury during a football game at Luther College in 2010. Back then, doctors gave him a dismal 3 percent that he would ever walk again. But Norton set a goal for himself that he would one day walk and fulfilled that when he got to his feet and crossed the stage in the ceremony to accept his diploma.
The now 23-year-old man got engaged to his girlfriend, Emily Summers, on Saturday and the next day she helped him walk the stage as the crowd cheered.
"I was nervous [about the walk], because I just wanted to really showcase how far I've come," Norton told TODAY.com. "I just really wanted to show everyone that I succeeded, that I've really come a long way."
Norton has made significant strides in his recovery considering that after his injury, he could not even breathe on his own. To date, he has told his story at 50 public speaking events and hopes that he can inspire others to beat the odds. The Iowa native has also founded the SCI CAN Foundation to raise money for support and equipment to those who have sustained spinal-cord and neurological injuries.
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