After Myron Wright suffered a spinal cord injury while playing football his sophomore year of high school, leaving him a quadriplegic, he had one goal: to be able to walk across the stage to receive his diploma. Although Wright was not able to walk across the stage, he says he didn’t let that get him down.

“The [day after graduation] I prayed, ‘God, I got one more gift to receive, and that’s my degree. If it would be possible, let me walk across the stage to receive my degree,'” Wright says.

Now in his third year at Nicholls, Wright is getting closer to his goal.

After a chance encounter with a stranger in May at his cousin’s wedding, he learned about Project Walk, an exercise-based spinal cord injury recovery center with four locations in the United States.

After researching the center, Wright says he felt Project Walk could be the answer to his prayers.

“[Project Walk’s] goal is to get you out of the wheelchair instead of teaching you how to adapt to the situation,” Wright says. “I want somebody’s goal to be the same as my goal – getting out of the wheelchair.”

But there is one obstacle to Wright’s rehabilitation: the cost. At $1,800 a week and $43,000 for six months, Wright needs financial help. He says he would like to have $50,000 before he enters Project Walk in Carlsbad, California, so he can afford his living expenses.

“When I go there I want my main focus to be on work and trying to get out this wheelchair,” Wright says. “I don’t want to worry about how I’m going to get to this place or if I have the money to go one more month at the center.”

Wright’s financial predicament may no longer be a concern of his, however.

After a local newspaper published an article about Wright in July, people in his community of Thibodaux have begun holding fundraisers for his cause. Three fundraisers have generated $10,000, he says.

Among those fundraisers was a jambalaya dinner facilitated by the Kappa Sigma fraternity chapter at Nicholls. Tate Perque, allied health junior from Thibodaux and a Kappa Sigma member, said the group raised $2,500 Sept. 16.

Ten members of Kappa Sigma attended high school with Wright, Perque among them. Perque says Wright’s accident impacted them when they were in high school, and after hearing about Project Walk in the newspaper article, they wanted to help.

“Being in Kappa Sigma, we have ways of getting the community involved,” Perque says. “We wanted to be able to do something positive to be able to help Myron.”

Back to November of 2002, when some of the Kappa Sigma members and Wright were sophomores at Thibodaux High. It was the Tigers’ last district game, and Wright’s coach called him to replace one of the players. Wright recalls the accident:

“It was on a fumble play. I was going to block the defense, but at the same time I got pushed, and another defender came from the front – it was a hard impact. It was like a regular hit, but at the same time I fell back. I didn’t black out or anything, I just couldn’t move.”

The impact fractured one of Wright’s vertebrae. After undergoing surgery he was able to regain small muscle sensations but was still paralyzed from the neck down.

“For some reason, when I try to move, it feels like I’m moving. But when I look, I’m not moving,” Wright explains.

Over the five years since Wright’s injury, he has received about five or six months of therapy, collectively, he says.

“I really haven’t received the right intense therapy that I know, that I’m praying will get me out this wheelchair,” Wright says.

Wright says he hopes to attend Project Walk in January so his graduating in 2009 with a degree in management won’t be affected.

Five fundraisers are scheduled until January. A dinner and raffle will be held Saturday at the Moses Community Center at 1310 Cardinal Dr. in Thibodaux, starting at 11 a.m.

A walk-a-thon is planned for the anniversary of Wright’s accident in November. Wright says he hopes Nicholls can help facilitate a telethon for that same weekend.

Wright credits the success of the fundraisers to people spreading the news about his situation, he says.

“It seems like everything is falling into place, and with no headaches,” Wright says.

In addition to the fundraisers, two of Wright’s friends made a documentary about his life to be sent to talk shows and spread throughout the area.

Although Wright has more physical challenges than most college students, he says he tries to come to school everyday and do his homework.

LaNisha Triggs of Thibodaux, Wright’s aide, attends his classes with him, assists him with his books and opens doors for him. Students write notes for Wright in some classes and teachers give him notes in others. To take tests he goes to the Office of Disability Services where a worker writes for him.

“I try not to make excuses because I want people to look at me as a normal person,” Wright says. “It’s very rare that you’ll see me complain.”

In spite of everything, Wright says sports are still in his heart. He attends many Thibodaux High School games, some Nicholls games and a couple of Saints games each year.

He says he still watches a lot of basketball, too. “Basketball was my sport,” he says. “I was just playing football [in highschool] to stay in shape.”

Wright says many people ask him how he could still watch sports after being paralyzed. “What God’s planned for you is going to happen,” Wright says optimistically.

Keeping a positive attitude is important to Wright because people look up to him, even though he may not always notice, he says.

“[People] expect a lot out of me,” Wright says. “If I get down, I’m gonna let a whole bunch of people get down. That’s one thing I can’t do.”

Wright says he feels like his dreams are about to come true.

“They had a lot of people who knew I wanted to walk across the stage for graduation when I was in high school. But God does things for a reason. Everything I’ve been dreaming about and everything I’ve been hoping – I just have a feeling it’s about to come true.