There are stories of people who suffer tragic injuries and end up succumbing to them, which are always incredibly sad. However, there are also stories where someone is injured and becomes a true inspiration.
Pete Benda was a student at Juan Diego High School, and he was changing a lamp in the theater when his lift fell over and he ended up falling headfirst onto the stage from approximately 30 feet high. He was diagnosed with a traumatic brain torsion injury. These types of injuries can come with all sorts of symptoms, such as slurred speech, seizures, comas, or death in the most unfortunate cases.
However, Pete was not willing to succumb to this. With the staunch support of his parents and his very positive therapists, he believed that he could get his life back. His therapists created an atmosphere where they were saying “when he recovers” rather than “if he recovers.”
One day, when Pete was in the car with his family, his father was massaging his throat when Pete uttered the word “Mom.” Everyone was floored and amazed, and they observed as his posture started opening up and he started coming off increasingly like his old self.
Pete says “I’m ready” for whatever obstacles may come his way in the future. It is clear that he has survived what would have taken most people down, and he is miraculously now doing things like swimming and running. He will definitely make the most of this second chance at life.