Kevin Babington has written a letter detailing his progress from the 2019 show jumping fall which resulted in a massive spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed. Through his refusal to give up and the efforts of his wife, Dianna and daughters Gwyneth and Marielle, along with hundreds of supporters, Kevin has made progress. The gains come in small increments, but he’s light years away from where he was 26 months ago, and perspective is vital in understanding how far Kevin has come. He has just released an update about how he’s doing:
“I’ve been continuing with my regular physical therapy and recently added a very good acupuncturist to my program, and I also have some exciting new rehab opportunities coming up very soon. My right arm continues to get stronger and I feel quite comfortable driving my wheelchair by myself now, using a hand control.
“In addition to having some movement in my toes, I’m starting to get a lot of new sensations in my legs and hips. It’s sometimes hard to explain what the feeling is, but it is along the line of tingling, or “firing,” and I have been getting a lot of warmth in both legs, especially my left one. I’m very fortunate that I’ve had a lot of very good therapists reach out to me, and I’m really looking forward to these new opportunities.
Kevin, who teaches from his wheelchair, with his tireless wife, Dianna. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
“When I’m not doing my therapies, my days are kept busy teaching lessons. I’m looking forward to some more of my students coming down for season and to the beginning of circuit. I still love to follow the show jumping from around the world and spend many hours on ClipMyHorse, making sure my friends and former competitors are not making too many mistakes ;).
“It obviously has not been any easy journey, but all the support I’ve had along the way has made it the best of a bad situation. I remain positive and stay focused on my goal to beat this. I would like to sincerely thank everyone who has supported me, because without you, my extensive therapies and care would not be possible. I am very grateful.”
To visit Kevin’s website, click here. To make a donation, click on this link. The Babington Family Trust is another way to help Kevin.