In September of 2018, bareback rider J.R. Vezain was thrown from a horse in Pasadena, resulting in a broken back and surgery that left him with mobility issues from the waist down and landed him in a wheelchair.
He rehabbed in Houston for a month, than in Utah for another six before returning home to Montana right before the birth of his son, Ryatt, on May 17, 2019.
Since then, he’s worked to defy odds and prove doctors wrong by regaining muscle control, leaning on his faith and family for support.
“I’m gearing up to go down to Panama City, Panama, for some stem cell treatment in the next couple of weeks,” Vezain told RodeoNews.com back in January. “I also got involved in a trial situation down in Houston to try an exoskeleton for three weeks two different times, and I’m going to do that in the first part of March.”
All of his efforts, determination, and prayer is paying off. Recently, he reached a new major milestone.
On April 13, J.R.’s wife Shelby posted a video on Instagram that show J.R. moving his legs and feet on his own. The movement is slight, but the feat is monumental. In the caption of her post, Shelby wrote:
“Since September 22, 2018, there has not been a day gone by that JR & I do not pray over these legs … This is what we’ve been praying for—the smallest, controlled movement. Every little muscle that decides to wake up, we consider a miracle! I guess the reason I’m sharing this video with you all is because at the beginning of this journey, we were told many times that JR wouldn’t gain any muscle control, let alone walk! Today, God decided to bless JR with some muscle control???? Do not give up. No matter how many people say you can’t or won’t!”