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Show Page 12 Thursday, July 3, 2008 Orem Times P.O. man starts tine, iomg raadl to recovein Ashley Franscell OAtY HERAlD Every day, Sam Harrison practices holding his baby while his wife, Ashley, stands nearby. She's there just in case the weight of Benjamin is too much for Sam's limp arms to handle. It was Feb. 16 when Harrison. 24, went night snowboarding at Brighton Ski Resort. It was dark and icy and he wasn't familiar with the run. He ended up on top of the terrain park and, with no time to react, he hit a jump at full speed. He flew through the air before landing on his head splitting his fifth vertebrae in half. Within 24 hours he had two surgeries that saved his life, but he remains paralyzed from the sternum down. Just one month before the accident. Harrison's wife gave birth to Benjamin three weeks early, on Jaa 15. 2008. "He knew he needed to come a link? bit sooner so I could get to know him.' said Harrison, smiling. "We knew when he was born he was a special baby." With little feeling or movement in his arms. Harrison Har-rison cannot hold or even pick up his 5-month-old son. He'll never be able to be there for his son in the same ways as other dads, but he has already made a promise to be there in ways other dads ignore. "He sits with Benjamin and talks and smiles and laughs." said Blair Hasier, who lives upstairs from Harrison. "He sits there as long as he can with him. Most dads don't do that." It is the thought of Benjamin and fatherhood that keeps Sam motivated through difficult physical therapy sessions and daily challenges. And he's the reason Sam does an extra set of exercises every day. He also uses him to challenge his own recovery. As Sam learns to reuse his body, Benjamin Benja-min is learning to use his for the first time. "I'm in a competition with Benjamin to see who can roll over first." he says. "He's beating me." Together they will team to roll over, sit up and eventually walk. His motto has become "Let's learn together " And he repeats it to Benjamin and Ashley. They'll team to tie a necktie together. They'll team to swing a baseball bat together. And team to ride a bike together. He's already come a long way in four months. After the accident he could not hold his own arm up without it falling fall-ing back into his face. Now, he brushes his own teeth and shaves. But those small tasks took one month to releam. Each time he finds the strength and the courage to accomplish one more thing it's a glimmer of hope toward his ultimate goal of walking. "We can still have our dreams and goals, we just have to be patient with the time frame," Ashley said. It only took a matter of sec- r ' . s4 ' it" ' "" y ' P r & II 1. ' v 1" 4 L r -: A A.. V ""T y-p-UJ0 ASHLEY FRANSCEUDaily Herald Sam Harrison and his wife Ashley share a laugh over his many voices while reading to their son Benjamin on June 27 at his home in Pleasant Grove. Sam Harrison was instantly paralyzed after a snowboarding accident in February only three weeks after Benjamin was born. onds for Sam's life to change, but his happy-go-lucky spirit didn't. "I've teamed that you can't control what happens in life but you can control the way you respond to it." he said with a smile. He finds anything he can do to help around the house. In the month he's been home from the hospital he's learned to use the computer, pecking away at the keyboard with his pinky's knuckle, to pay the bills online and respond to the family's e-mails. e-mails. The Pleasant Grove family fam-ily has a handful of aides that come to help take Sam to physical physi-cal therapy in Salt Lake City, to change medical dressings and to relieve Ashley of some of the work so she can spend time with Benjamia "Having something bad happen hap-pen is not the end," he admits. "It's just an opportunity to move forward and be a stronger stron-ger person" Having something bad happen is not the end. It's just an opportunity to move forward and be a stronger person." Sam Harrison paralyze: 1 It's Back THE STEP-UP CD 36 Month High Interest CD 40P Don't worn' about what interest rates are going to do in the future. You have the option to Step-Up the interest rate of your CD to a new higher rate one timeany time during the life of your CD. You can also deposit additional funds to this CD once each year without opening another certificate. Open your new CD at any one of our 9 convenient offices. Utah County's Small Business Bank CENTRAL BANK ww.cbutah.com mud yMuy M (flV) &mwaf and ,ubpa It. ehanupwithoul mux. Mnnnmm ttepom ofti.OOC wjuimL ASHLEY FRANSCELL Daily Herald Ashley Harrison helps her husband Sam shave his neck at his home in Pleasant Grow. It took about a month for Sam to releam how to shave himself after his accident. "We can slill have our dreams and goals we just have to be patient with the time frame "said Ashley. Bill Hkc$ ths local sports eemtp. Ilranda wants to bear wttafs going on sraund tews. Keri ai a&Bot nlcs. Ttof have Afferent bitertx, bat they s9 hsve eoe thmi to csmraon: Thef "sip t?p" ts The Daily Herald for news, infaratafien mi fun! 1 ,Y, ,p A, P, ,E. Caflbdafti start recehriit psr lewxpsfen ES1-373-S05Q DfttllJlHCttltil ':! ... ...,..... . .. .... ! .V . J s.r4K- . ... R' r-v.. i ,: v s Pmm jjTire-ejit w 'AIM Nh.,5' f f R-E-MI www martiwccl1Ssionrepair.com 1 SATISFACTION t. GUARANTEED ViV:K 1 !!1 r 'k |