"Croton's Nick Springer continues to inspire, years after tragedy, comeback, his death"

I remember this so well. But he conquered his adversity. Thanks to MC for pointing me to this article.

Nick Springer's brush with meningitis cost him his legs and his lower arms. But his warrior's heart was what drew others to him, and continues to draw others to his story.

It’s 1999. Gary Springer and his wife, Nancy, are in their son's hospital room.

Nick, 14, awakens to learn he has been in a coma for six weeks. Given just a 10% chance to survive a near-fatal brush with meningococcal meningitis, Nick has made it through. But doctors had to amputate his legs through the knees and his arms at mid-forearm.

Gary Springer recalls the conversation, with his heavily medicated son.

“He said: ‘Dad, I don’t think I have any fingers.’ I said: ‘Nick, you don’t. When you got sick, they had to cut them off.’ He goes: ‘I think I know about my legs, too.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, Nick, but we’ve already had people in to see you. You’re going to be able to walk again. You’re going to be able to have new legs.’ Instead of breaking down, Nick just said: ‘OK.’”

**************

Nick Springer was more than fine. He soared. The Croton-on-Hudson native found inspiration of his own. He shunned prosthetics and mastered life in a wheelchair. He was MVP of the gold-medal-winning Team USA wheelchair rugby team at the Beijing Paralympics in 2008 and won bronze in London in 2012.

Wheelchair rugby gave him back his identity. He was an athlete again, on a team with guys who didn’t treat him like he was different. He wasn’t fragile. He was ferocious.

“I was just one of the guys again," he said.

But he was more. He was elite.

Comments

[MR]

Amen.

[tom faranda]

I remember when I was told about this by the pastor here - Nick had just been brought out of his induced comma. Plenty of fundraisers, etc for him in Croton at the time. He went on to do great things, no doubt.