Dominic is a 26-year-old resident of Thurmont, Maryland. Prior to the injury, he was a collegiate athlete, playing ice hockey, lacrosse, and track and field. After graduation, he spent some time pursuing professional ice hockey and then came back home to work as a gym teacher at a local middle school. During his time at home, Dominic worked evenings with the parks and recreation sports programs teaching kids (ages 2-18) while also pursuing a master’s degree.
In June 2024, Dominic was finishing his off-season morning workout at home with a few laps in the pool. However, when he jumped into the pool, he did not tuck his chin long enough resulting in the water clotheslining his neck, resulting in a burst fracture of the C7 vertebral body in his neck. He immediately lost all function and would have drowned but was luckily rescued by his little sister who pulled him to the edge of the pool and held him out of the water until the paramedics arrived. He was flown to Shock Trauma for an emergency surgery to fuse C4-T1. Dominic stayed in the ICU surrounded by his family for the next twelve days.
When Dominic arrived at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital (MNRH), he was scared, but also excited and hopeful. On arrival, he was a quadriplegic who had heard daily in the ICU that his chances of walking were less than 1% as he had a “complete) (also called ASIA A) spinal cord injury. The chances of return of full mobility of arms and hands was extremely limited. However, he was thrilled to begin at MNRH. “I knew the only way to go was up and to fight with everything I had and every resource and person around me and we began that fight July 8th,” Dominic says.
Dominic set many goals for himself. He wanted his life back with the least amount of change. This involved being able to walk again, jog, run, skate, play Rec league basketball with his brother again, play softball with his sister, play hockey with his girlfriend and shop with his mom. Dominic was determined to walk out of the hospital when he was discharged, and nothing was going to get in the way of that.
Reflecting on his experience at MNRH, Dominic claims that those seven weeks changed his life. The doctors on rounds gave him hope every day. The wonderful technicians taught him new things that he “had not a clue about.” His team of therapists devoted themselves to his care, giving everything they had and more. Dominic credits a huge part of where he is today to his therapists. After a week at the hospital, doctors re-assessed his neurological exam, and he had improved to an ASIA C (which means that he has some weak motor function below the level of his spinal cord injury). After that point, everything changed. Dominic broke down and cried because he was told he had a chance. The entire SCI rehabilitation staff was working with him and pushing him every day. He learned a lot about himself during this time; this was his hardest battle of all.
Dominic was incredibly lucky to have so much support from his friends and family. His high school coach, Dave Hammer, visited weekly. His mom never left his side. She stayed fifty-three nights in the reclining chair next to his hospital bed, feeding him every meal, dressing him, helping him in every way possible. “Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” Dominic says. Coach Mike Franklin, one of Dominic’s mentors, said something to him that he has never forgotten, “nobody knows what a soul on fire is capable of and you, Dom, have a fire burning.” Those words changed him. Dominic says, “that’s my story, a soul on fire.”
On August 21st, Dominic was discharged and walked out of the hospital braces on his legs and a walker. He has graduated from a wheelchair to noodle braces to walkers to a quad cane to a single point cane to now walking unassisted! Dominic wakes up everyday seeing it as a blessing and a gift to be in the position that he is in. Since discharge, he has enjoyed going to Myrtle Beach to visit his sister, going to the movies with his brother, and going out with his girlfriend on dates. Most of all, though, he enjoys showing his car at car shows every weekend and appreciates his mom for driving him, since he is currently unable to drive. He says, “it’s been a great way to get me back in the community and add in some PT and OT while having fun.”
Dominic says his “future is only up from here.” He has gone back to complete his master’s degree and plans to return to teaching. He also plans to get back on the ice again. A major goal of his is to pursue playing Ice Hockey in the 2028 Paralympics as a member of the USA Paralympic Ice Hockey Team. He intends to write a book, documenting his experience and what he has learned. “Nothing will stand in the way of reaching all of my goals,” he says, “my soul on fire is still burning bright”.