When it comes to severe spinal cord injuries, all doctors can do is stabilize the spine and hope for the best. Less than two years ago, it looked pretty bad for 18-year-old Cody Williams.
The Santa Monica High School junior tackled a quarterback as he tried to enter the end zone on Sept. 11, 2009.
"As he was going up, his knee made contact with my face mask and just kind of jerked my neck back, and I just blacked out for a little bit," Williams said.
Williams was paralyzed. Paramedics transported him to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. The force of the injury snapped his neck.
"As soon as I saw the films, I knew that it was a very devastating injury," said Dr. Langston Holly of UCLA Medical Center.
The severity and location were close to the injury actor Christopher Reeve suffered.
It took nine hours for Holly to stabilize the front and back of Williams' neck, but how well he'd recover was unknown.
"History just shows that the vast majority of these people will not make a significant life changing improvement," Holly said.
Home video shows how Williams is able to use his arms and his legs.
"With braces on my legs, I can take about 20 to 30 steps," Williams said.
One of the keys in his recovery was the fact that he got into surgery so quickly, and surgeons were able to stabilize his spine.
But the fact that he can use both his arms and is making strides in walking, doctors say that is all the teen's effort.
Williams just started an experimental medication designed to support spinal cord healing. His family hopes the drug, along with physical therapy, will help him get even stronger.
"He goes to therapy, he doesn't take any time off. He works very hard, and he stays positive," said mother Stacy Williams.
He may be off the field, but his football coach, friends and especially his mom continue to root for him. Through this all, he made his high school graduation - and that's only the beginning.
