GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — All it takes is a single moment and your life can change forever. For Ross Cusack, that moment is one he'll never remember, leaving him with trauma he'll never forget.
The fact that he's even alive is a miracle, according to Ross and his family. They hope it's the first of many on his road to recovery.
Ross, 23, has always been about speed.
"I don't like heights. I don't like other things that get people going," he said, "but I like to go fast.”
His life just hit the emergency brake.
"Something you never expect to do," he said.
Ross wasn't supposed to be in a wheelchair going through intense physical therapy on a daily basis at Mary Free Bed in Grand Rapids. He was supposed to be enjoying the rest of winter riding snowmobiles.
"I've rode for years and years and years," he said.
Around 9 p.m. on Jan. 19, he was doing just that. Ross and his younger brother, Max, were carving up fresh powder on some back roads near their Greenville home.
"We're on our way back home and just didn't see that ditch," Ross said.
Ross and his snowmobile clipped the corner of the ditch at 70 miles-per-hour.
“I don't remember the crash at all," Ross said. "I did crash into it. I was about a foot low from clearing it.”
This all unfolded right in front of Max, who stopped just in time and jumped into action.
“I was knocked out and he got the airway cleared and kind of held my head up," Ross explained. "He called 911. [Max] just took care of me until the ambulance was there.”
“He honestly saved my life," Ross said.
Tony Cusack, Ross's father, got a call from Max around that time.
"Initially, I was just kind of not real happy with those boys because the last thing I wanted to do was go out in five-degree weather and get a sled," Tony said. "I had no idea how bad it was at that time.”
Ross broke five ribs, fractured his wrist and broke two vertebrae in his lower back (T-12 and L-1).
"Luckily, it didn't sever my spinal cord, but it injured it for sure," Ross said.
“You are paralyzed from the waist down?" FOX 17 asked Ross.
"Yeah. For now," he replied. "That was my prognosis here."
"I like how you said, 'For now.' What do you mean by saying that?" we asked.
"Well, I mean, I can't stand being in this chair, so I'm doing everything I can to get out of it.”
Ross never thought patience would play a crucial role in his life. But, as he learns to walk again, he and his family are learning to adjust.
“It's mind, body and soul that's getting fixed right now," said Ross's mom, Kristy. "I wouldn't say just for Ross. It's all of us.”
She continued, "We could have, should have lost both of our sons that night.”
Ross had dreams of building engines for high-performance motor sports after graduating from the University of Northwest Ohio last June.
That dream hasn't gone away.
He just has to also focus on building back the strength in his legs.
It's a long road ahead, but Ross is determined to prove his prognosis wrong and eventually walk down that road someday.
“It'd be great to get back to 100%," Ross said, "but I don't really need to run a 5k or anything like that. If I can stand and walk and be normal that way, I'd be pretty happy.”
The family set up a GoFundMe to help cover medical expenses along the way. Please click this link if you want to help.
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