GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It took a lot to get to the point of leaving Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids for Ross Cusack.
"Ended up on our way back home, you know, in a field and, and see a really big ditch and ended up hitting that and put me in the hospital for a while," said Cusack.
Cusack and his brother were snowmobiling near Greenville on the night of Jan. 19. After hitting a ditch in a cornfield, his brother called 911.
"Montcalm Central Dispatch, I have a P.I. accident, snowmobile, one victim," said a dispatcher the night of the accident. "He is unconscious, breathing."
"I'll be enroute," replied a first responder.
Arriving at Butterworth hospital, Cusack and his family learned what the next months would look like for them, including daily physical and occupational therapy appointments.
"I could hardly move I was in so much pain, and, you know, just just in really bad shape," said Cusack.
He's been at Mary Free Bed in Grand Rapids since Jan. 24, trying to get his strength back.
"Three hours of therapy every day," said Cusack. "And at a minimum. You know, there's other therapies too, like rec therapy and stuff that you don't have every day. But physical and occupational therapy is every day and they do push you."
When he got to the rehabilitation hospital, he couldn't move his legs. Doctors later found out he had what's called an "incomplete spinal cord injury."
But with a little determination, Cusack is getting better.
"It's, it's hard to look at it day to day and, you know, see any progress," said Cusack. "But, you know, just talking to people, they're all amazed at how far I've come."
Now that he's back at home, he has plans to get back to doing the things he loves.
"I really want to get back to walk in and be in at least as close to normal as I can," said Cusack. "I'm making some good progress. But like I said, I have a lot, lot to do still."
His parents are also happy to have him home.
"We're feeling very positive about all of the progress he's made and all of the prayers. People have given us so much of their time and love and he's really got a great attitude because of all that." said his mom Kristy Cusack.
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