Young Man Suffering From Severe Spinal Cord Injury Recovers with Therapy From Lynn Rehabilitation Center, Now Makes Adaptive Equipment for Individuals with Disabilities

By: Krysten Brenlla

For as long as he can remember, Leduar Rivera, 23, was eager to help others in need. In 2021, he was studying nursing, and ready to jump into the field.

However, on July 24, 2021, just six months away from graduation, his life changed forever when he was in a near-fatal car crash.

“The day of my accident, I had gone out with some friends – my grandfather had passed away a week before, and I was just looking for a distraction,” Rivera said. “After a night out, I was heading back home, and I fell asleep at the wheel. I ran myself off the road, and when I woke up, it was too late to brake, so I just braced for impact.”

Rivera’s car rolled several times before hitting a ditch off Northwest 12th Street and Northwest 137th Avenue. He was stuck in the car before paramedics rushed him to Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial with a cervical spinal cord injury.

The spinal cord injury resulted in a partial loss of sensation from the neck down, and ultimately, paralysis in his lower extremities.

“When the paramedics pulled me out of the car, they were asking for my identification, and I remember telling them that my wallet was in my back pocket,” Rivera said. “I kept repeating myself to them because I didn’t know if they understood me, but they had already reached for my wallet, I just couldn’t feel any sensation in that part of my body.”

Upon arrival to Ryder Trauma, a team of neurosurgeons and trauma surgeons immediately stabilized him and prepped him for emergency surgery, which included a procedure to fuse his spine, preventing further paralysis and damage.

After two extensive surgeries, Rivera spent one week in the neurosurgical intensive care unit recovering. Once he was discharged from Jackson Memorial, he was transferred to Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at UHealth/Jackson Memorial.

When Rivera first arrived at Lynn Rehabilitation Center, he could not raise his arms over his head or open his hands.

“Everything was hard – from brushing my teeth to feeding myself,” Rivera said. “I couldn’t transfer, adjust myself on the bed; I couldn’t even move a pillow. It was a very tough time.”

However, after two weeks of inpatient therapy, Rivera slowly improved. With occupational therapy, he gained control and movement in his upper extremities, especially in his left hand and shoulder.

“When he first arrived to us as an inpatient, Leduar was very limited; he presented with a lot of swelling, was suffering from shoulder pain, and had a neck brace. He was considered a total assist for activities of daily living according to our assessment tools,” said Yumel Amaran-Perez, an occupational therapist at Lynn Rehabilitation Center. “As occupational therapists, we teach patients how to do things in a modified way, especially with body positioning. Despite the challenges he faced, Leduar was always motivated.”

In addition to gaining movement in his upper extremities, Leduar learned to roll over in bed, sit up, and use adaptive equipment to brush his teeth and feed himself.

“Everything was challenging for him at the time,” said Amaran-Perez. “Now, he’s completely independent. He’s a huge support for the newer patients, and a great mentor.”

Upon discharge from inpatient rehabilitation, Rivera transitioned to outpatient therapy at Lynn Rehabilitation Center.

After several months of hard work, including intense occupational and physical therapies, Rivera was able to turn his torso from side to side, and regained full motion in his neck.

Additionally, after a year of rehabilitation therapy, Rivera reached a major milestone – he transitioned from a power wheelchair to a manual wheelchair.

Now, after two years, he lives an independent life. Using adaptive equipment, Rivera is able to drive, feed himself, brush his own teeth, and perform daily tasks on his own.

With the help of recreational therapy, Rivera participates in several adaptive sports, like rugby, table tennis, hand cycling, and scuba diving.

“It’s been two years since my accident, and it’s pretty daunting,” he said. “But I feel good about everything I’ve accomplished. I’ve made it this far, and I know I can make it even further.”

For the future, Rivera is looking forward to accomplishing another important goal – one that he nearly missed due to that fateful night.

“My accident re-sparked my love for engineering. Now, I’m back at school for engineering, and I’m graduating soon,” Rivera said. “I partner with the therapists at Lynn Rehabilitation Center to create adaptive equipment for patients, like splints, grabbers, and leg separators. Eventually, I hope to open my own 3D-printing engineering firm, or work on implants for paralyzed patients within the mechanical engineering field.”

Today, Rivera continues to receive physical, occupational, and recreational therapies. He’s forever grateful to the team at Lynn Rehabilitation Center, and to his loved ones, for pushing him to reach his full potential.

“Whenever I needed help with anything, the team at Jackson would always find a way to do it for me. They’ve been amazing,” Rivera said.

“Without Jackson, I wouldn’t be where I’m at. They’re like family now.”