Inspirational Person #4: Doug Smith

It seems, at this stage, most of my inspirational people are athletes.  I don't think athletes have a near monopoly on being inspirational when it comes to spinal cord injury recovery, but I think they are more willing to share their stories of recovery.

That said, here's another one: Doug Smith, who was drafted by and played for (among other teams) my hometown Los Angels Kings, PG (Pre-Gretzky).  Smith played nine years in the NHL, then signed with a team in Austria.  He broke his neck during a game and shattered two vertebrae, which left him at risk for spinal cord injury.  However, it was the surgery that damaged his spinal cord and left him a quadrapeligic. 

It started with a spasm in his big toe - and four months later, he was able to walk.

Today, he is a motivational speaker, and truly has an inspirational story to tell.