Update 11/30/20

This year has been an interesting one. Up in the mountains, it has been pretty mellow; I’m thankful for that. I have been using the new scooter attachment that I got from Road 2 Recovery quite a bit. It’s nice to be able to cover some distance without getting exhausted. I have a new job opportunity that I will be able to take advantage of now that I am getting stronger and more mobile.

The recovery has been slow, but there is always progress. Transfers always get easier, my crawling is strong, some of the nerve pain has evolved into tingles, and that is a positive sign. Thank you to everyone at Road 2 Recovery and their supporters, you have made things as easy as possible, and I am grateful.

 

 

Update 03/01/20

It’s been 3 years since my injury at T4 level paralyzing me from my chest down.  Since then I have done stem cell treatments twice and a month in a Hyperbaric chamber,  lots of physical therapy and light treatment called Spectro Chrome.  It has been a slow process but I have been steadily improving and noticing small changes in feeling and movement below my injury. I’m starting to get a little core strength that makes it easier to transfer, like getting in the car.

It has helped my balance and I’m able to move around better under my own power. For example; workouts at home, like crawling and pushups from my knees and other agility exercises are becoming easier. It’s only a small amount of core that seems to be working but every little bit helps a lot. I can also feel pressure down to my waist and a little in my legs when they are squeezed along with blood flow rushing to my legs when I stretch out.  I have also noticed that my nerve pain is changing from burning to a tingling feeling just a little.  All of my improvement is small but steady.  It’s difficult to show someone the improvements but they are there.

Thank you to all for your continued support!

 

Update 08/29/17

David Gassin went to US Stem Cell in Florida for the second time last week where he is receiving Stem Cells therapy treatment. They inject his own stem cells into his spinal fluid, and more directly into his veins. With each treatment he have been able to notice a difference in the way his body is effected; it’s a small difference but noticeable. David have gotten a very small amount of feeling back and a small amount of movement and with each treatment it continues to  increase. He backs up the stem cell treatment with physical therapy every other day. This process seems to work the best for him with a day off to recover. Thanks to everyone who had prayed and donated to his cause, David has been able to continue to progress in his recovery.

 

Update 05/15/17

Update from David… I’m having great progress with my recovery so far. I am now able to crawl backwards unassisted and am now working on crawling forward but haven’t quite got it, yet. I reached a milestone was a couple weeks ago, I was able to pedal a spin bike for a little over a minute.

Some of the problems I am having to learn to overcome are insurance issues. My insurance has changed and as a result, I lost one of my prescriptions that was helping my nerves talk to each other. To pay the out of pocket costs, it would be $3000 a month and that is just not something I am able to do.  We are now working with insurance to get my original policy back so that this perception that I was seeing massive results with will be covered again.

Thanks for all the support from everyone.  It has made a huge difference in my recovery.  I am doing everything possible to be able to walk and I am confident I can do it.

 

Update 04/12/17

David is now three weeks into his outpatient therapy at Project walk. He is enjoying being pushed in his training again and is seeing positive progress with his weekly sessions. David has recently kicked up his therapy by working out at a friends house two times a week and using his standing frame weekly that he was gifted. The standing frame is important to David’s overall health in so many ways; it helps him stand and bear weight which helps with digestion and circulation.

At Project walk David is learning so much and making slow but steady gains. One thing he is most proud of is crawling, this shows the determination and dedication he is putting towards his recovery, as crawling is a huge achievement. He attributes his progress to the desire to someday walk again. To aid David in his goal of walking he is taking a very expensive medicine called Ampyra. It has shown to help some people get movement and feeling back in parts of their bodies that are suffering from paralysis. So far David is really happy with the results he as been seeing with Ampyra. He now has feeling on an area on his back that he previously did not have.  He also has a little bit of hip movement that wasn’t there before. These positive results paired with crawling has inspired him to keep digging deep.

In an effort to get mobile and become a little more self reliant, David has completed a 10 hours course of certified “behind the wheel training” to learn how to drive his car with hand controls. Next week David’s car is schedule to receive the hand control upgrades which will make driving safer and more comfortable for him, and he is so happy about this opportunity.

To help with David R2R fund, he along side his family and friends have put together a ride day on May 6th. He has a long road ahead of him and needs your help. The ride day is at Argyle Park in northern California. Details are below on how to participate.

Update 02/08/17

Being the committed athlete that David is, he is pushing himself to reach both short-term and long-term goals. Everyday he excels in therapy. Once Davis is released from the hospital, he will be going to an extensive SCI therapy center where we have no bought that he’ll excel there as well. Stay posted for more information on his road 2 recovery.

Update 01/22/17

Update on David by family- David has been moved to a normal room. He is still in a decent amount of pain but he is in really good spirits. The rehab is going really well. Things are starting to head in the right direction. David and the family are still asking for no visitors for a bit longer until he gets little bit farther along. He asked me to tell everybody thank so much for all the well wishes and prayers and to everybody that has donated for his recovery. Anybody that would still like to donate please do so. I will continue the updates every couple days.

 

Pro privateer Motocross rider David Gassin was severely injured while racing the Prairie City Grand Prix in Northern California on Sunday, January 15th. David was about one hour into the thee hour race when he high-sided on a high-speed section of the track. David cartwheeled multiple times and believes that the initial impact with the ground resulted in the injuries sustained.

David was taken to the hospital with no feeling from the chest down due to a crushed T-5 vertebra. Additional injuries include broken ribs, broken sternum and micro collapsed areas of both lungs. He went into surgery that night to stabilize his spine and relieve the pressure being put on his spinal cord from the crushed T-5 vertebrae. The surgery to remove the pressure was successful and David is now recovering in the ICU.

David continues to have no feeling from the chest down and is expected to move out of the ICU shortly. He is fighting some small complications with fevers that are related to the spinal cord injury and as soon as they are under control he will be able to start working towards his recovery goals.

David has a very long and hard road a head of him. To help assist with his medical expenses that are exponentially rising, you can donate to his Road 2 Recovery fund here. All donations are tax deductible and will help David prepare for the next stage in his recovery.

The support he has been receiving from his family, sponsors, friends, and fans is extremely touching and he is very grateful for all the kind words and prayers. If you are unable to donate to David’s R2R Fund, you can still help by sharing this information and keeping up the positive vibes and prayers. For more information and to stay up to date on Davids cause, check back to his page often.

Please help spread the word on Davids R2R cause and use #DG204R2R to help show your support. Be sure to leave positive messages and well wishes here for David to read.