Chris Rice was on the deck by the side of the family pool, enjoying small talk with his brother when he slipped on a wet pool toy, plummeted into the shallow end and hit his head.
“I thought I was just stunned,” said Rice. “I didn’t realize it was more serious than that.”
Rice began to realize what was actually happening. He understood he was face down floating in the water. He went into panic mode, struggling and gasping for air. He was so focused on trying to breath, it took him a while to realize the worst part. As he tried to swim to the surface, it clicked in that he couldn’t move any part of his body.
“I thought I was going to drown until I looked over and saw my stepbrothers’ legs in the water.”
His stepbrother flipped him over and held him up, trying to keep him calm.
“I kept screaming that I couldn’t feel anything,” said the former Chatham Hall resident. “But he kept reassuring me I was fine because I was flapping my arms.”
Rice said he was not moving his arms, but when he looked over, sure enough, they were splashing in the water. That was when he knew he was paralyzed. As his father supported him against his chest, the pain in his head began.
“I realized then that I had also knocked out some teeth,” he said. “I hit pool so hard that I knocked out a molar.”
The trip to the hospital was a blur. All that kept his mind off the tragedy was focusing on breathing. When he finally arrived at Sunnybrook hospital from the family home in Toronto, he was rushed into emergency surgery. Rice had crushed the front part of his C7 vertebrate. The doctors had to replace his vertebrate by taking bone off his hip. In the end, they also put in a plate and two screws.
After the surgery, he spent 12 days in the ICU and has been in rehabilitation for another five months. Doctors told him he’s a tetraplegic, meaning he’s paralyzed from the waist down.
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Chris Rice, who grew up in Bear River, Nova Scotia, enjoyed his first year of university. He lived in Chatham Hall and met some amazing friends. He hosted many social events in his room, which gained the name “Club Chris.” As one of the most involved and good-spirited residents, he became social representative of Chatham.
“I was really trying to get back for at least second semester, but it looks like it isn’t going to happen,” he said.
“But I won’t stop trying to get better.”
Through this journey, Chris has had many mentors. He said his family, especially his parents, have been a huge support system, but that his “Chatham family” also helped him through this traumatic time. Travis Aten, one of his close friends from Chatham made it clear how much Chris has impacted his life.
“Chris made my first year one of the most memorable years of my life and I’m sure he did the same to everyone else that I knew. He’s an amazing guy and an inspiration to all of us.”
It has been about six months since the accident and although Chris cannot come back to school, he has made some incredible progress.
As of now, he can use all the muscles in his left leg. He’s hoping that this will spread to his right side, which seems to have been more damaged. He has to buy $30,000 worth of equipment including a power and manual wheelchair, a shower commode, an electric lift and a hospital bed.
Despite all this, he considers himself lucky compared to many he sees at the hospital, and is convinced his health can only improve.
His day-to-day routine has changed as well. In the mornings, an attendant comes in to get him up and ready for the day. He gets his blood pressure taken and has to do an ICS four times a day. Every second day, he gets to shower. Rice has to take 33 pills every day.
Although he would love to return to St. Thomas, his chances are not looking good.
“Fredericton isn’t as accessible as I need it to be, so I’m limited to a bigger city,” he said.
He’s staying at his family’s home in Ontario and plans to take classes in law enforcement, perhaps working for the Toronto police department one day.
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Just a few weeks ago, Chris was given the OK to go home from hospital. He was told that a taxi would be there to take him, but when he got to the vehicle and opened the door, he was informed that his stepfather had bought him a wheelchair van.
Although Chris is not in Chatham physically, he makes sure he is still involved. Just last week he mailed his infamous
“Club Chris” strobe lights back to Chatham.
Rice always brought the party, and continues to do so from 800 miles away.
