​

​

      On December 24, 2001 Thom was in a snowboarding accident, his L1 vertebrae was pulverized and pushed into his spinal cord leaving him instantly paralyzed from the waist down, a paraplegic.   In the hospital he had his L1 vertebrae and rib removed, ground up and placed inside a titanium cage creating a spinal fusion between his T12 and L2 vertebrae. After surgery the Doctor said he would never walk again or be able to have kids and to start adjusting to living life in a wheelchair.  Today Thom can walk with a cane, lives in San Diego, California with his wife, Lisa and their two sons, Jackson and Dylan who are 12 and 7 years old. In 2016, 15 years after his accident, he conquered the ski mountain he was paralyzed on by riding down the same snowboard run two times. Through his accident he has learned to stay positive, create his own happiness, focus on being grateful for what you do have, you never fail unless you give up, and to bring love and joy like there’s no tomorrow.  

​