Diane Lundmark embarks on a courageous journey.

“All of this has taught me a lot about patience, humility, and being present,” she explains.

In September, Diane, 59, of Minnetonka, and her husband, Kirk, were visiting their son in Montana.

He passed out in the bathroom, hitting his head on the counter, causing a spinal cord injury.

“Basically, his C5 (vertebrae) became dislocated and overextended towards the top of C6 and therefore affected his spinal nerve,” Kirk explained.

The blow left Diane, an active cyclist and former adaptive volunteer ski instructor at Allina Health Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, paralyzed from the chest down.

Now he is back sick.

“I can only imagine what it took to get them to the ski hill,” says Diane. “And now that I’m going through it, I know how long it’s going to last.”

Five hours a day for five weeks, she receives physical and occupational therapy as well as speech therapy to project her voice and exercise her diaphragm at Allina Health’s Courage Kenny Clinic at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.

An electric machine helps stimulate his muscles and nervous system.

Dr. D., a spinal cord injury rehabilitation specialist at the Courage Kenny Institute. “It’s in really good shape,” explains James Harceley. “There are always speed-ups in everyone’s recovery, and that’s why he’s at the Abbott Acute Rehabilitation Center.”

Diane says she still can’t feel anything from her chest down.

However, he is able to move his arms more fully and can feel the muscle sensation in his abs and when stretching.

“We’re on this train with him,” Kirk said. “He’s going to take this as far as he can and we’re here to support him 100%.”

Diane says she’s not sure how far her recovery will go, but she’s already making plans to become an advocate for others with spinal cord injuries.

It’s a tough journey, yes, but surrounded by her family and care team, Diane shows no signs of slowing down.

“I can see the light at the end of the tunnel because I know I will continue to get stronger. “Maybe continue to be a little more independent,” he says. “But I know I have a journey to go before I get there.”

You can learn more about the crowdfunding effort to help with Lundmark’s medical expenses Here.