For Jeffrey Guest, graduating college later this week is not just another accomplishment — it’s proof that the bad things that happen don’t have to define a person’s life.

His graduation marks the start of a new chapter — one where he has a college degree and job to support his son and one where he might walk for the first time in eight years.

Eight years ago, Guest was living the dream. After graduating from high school in 2007, he was playing football on a scholarship at Campbellsville University in Kentucky, was a new father to son Braylon and was surrounded by friends and family who cheered him on at every game.

That dream came to a grinding halt in the fall of 2009. Guest was traveling to Lincoln County, Kentucky, to pick up a friend when the left front tire on his Jeep Cherokee blew out. As he tried to pull over, the blown tire hit a ditch, causing his vehicle to flip.

The 21-year-old Guest was then airlifted to University of Kentucky Hospital, where doctors found that his vertebrae were crushed into several pieces. They cut off a piece of his pelvic bone and fused it to what was left of his vertebrae.

 “I didn’t know what the outcome was going to be, but I told myself I would fight back and figure out a way to come out of the chair at some point in life,” he said.

That fight would turn out to be more challenging than he ever expected, but Guest never gave up hope.

Committed to walking again, Guest focused his energy on therapy and rehabilitation. During the same time, the possibility of stem cell treatments offered Guest and his supporters hope, but ultimately didn’t pan out. He decided to pause clinical trials and return to school after watching his brother and cousin graduate from Eastern Kentucky University.

In the fall of 2013, Guest officially began his journey as an EKU student. After some exploration, he decided to major in risk management and insurance (RMI).

“I picked that field because of Burke Christensen (RMI professor and Robert B. Morgan chair of insurance). I love his energy in the classroom, and he really made me want to learn more about RMI.” he said.

Christensen feels equally honored to know Guest. “To know Guest is to like him,” he declared. Along with his protégé’s people skills, Guest’s work ethic also impressed Christensen. “Like most highly-skilled athletes, Jeff is willing to work hard in preparation so that he performs well at game time.”

Most importantly, Christensen was inspired by Guest’s perseverance in the face of hardship.

“Some would have given up or become angry at the unfairness of life,” he said. “I have never heard Jeff complain about his injuries. Compared to what Jeff lost, my problems are small. He is an inspiration to all of us to overcome the small problems we face each day.” 

Now 28 with graduation in sight, Guest’s dream of walking again isn’t as far off as it once seemed. While scrolling through a spinal cord injury group on Facebook, he saw an article about a company called Unique Access in Bangkok, Thailand, which offers a two-part procedure consisting of a stem cell injection and an epidural stimulator. During the injection, Guest will receive as many as 100 million stem cells into his body, some directly in the site of the injury and some via IV.  Then, an epidural stimulator device will be implanted in his lower back that sends electrons to the damaged nerves, telling them to move.

The stem cell treatment by itself carries an 80 percent success rate, while both procedures together boast a 95 to 100 percent success rate.

Guest knows that even with the procedure, it will be a difficult path to full recovery. He will still have to undergo physical and aqua therapy, and it could be a while before he is fully able to walk again. But those are only minor details. The mere thought of being able to feel his legs and wiggle his toes is enough to excite him.

Guest is hoping to have the procedure done by August or September, but it will cost a whopping $92,000 of which he’s already raised almost $50,000 through crowdfunding donations.

Throughout this experience, Guest has remained extremely thankful for his family. As a child, he recalls his mother and grandmother always teaching him to appreciate what he has — a trait that helped him through his post-accident ordeal. He admits that he still has days of sadness, but tries to be positive and grateful for what he does have.

As a single father, he also hopes to set a good example for his  now 9-year-old son. Guest sees a lot of himself in his son. “He is very athletic. His favorite sports are baseball and basketball.”

Through this promising stem cell procedure, Guest may able to play those sports with his son. In the meantime, Guest hopes to teach him what’s truly important in life.

“I want him to see life as positive and to know that you have to work hard and keep fighting in order to be successful. Most important thing is you just have to be happy.”

White writes for the Richmond, Kentucky Register.