Ppatient profile A HIGH ACHIEVER Former patient enrolls in law school after graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy. BY DAVID SIMPSON Kevin Hillery, 23, of Medway, Mass., is a student at the George<strong>to</strong>wn University School of Law. In 2012, he became the first person with paraplegia <strong>to</strong> graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy. 22 • ShepherdCenterMagazine.org
Pho<strong>to</strong>S by Louie Favorite <strong>and</strong> brian tip<strong>to</strong>n PHOTOS BY ABBY GREENAWALT Kevin Hillery, 23, would rather not talk about himself, even if he underst<strong>and</strong>s why other people do. Last year, he became the first person with paraplegia <strong>to</strong> graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy. He then entered George<strong>to</strong>wn University’s law school <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong>ed on Forbes magazine’s “30 Under 30: Law <strong>and</strong> Policy” list. Ask Kevin what advice he gives <strong>to</strong> people facing adversity, <strong>and</strong> you’ll get a long pause. “Well, I don’t know if I have any coherent advice,” he says. “I just think it’s important <strong>to</strong> take help from the people who are close <strong>to</strong> you <strong>and</strong> who are caring about you <strong>and</strong> willing <strong>to</strong> offer it. Just be grateful for any opportunity you have <strong>and</strong> keep your mind on what’s important for you.” Instead of talking about himself, he will tell you about the people who helped him along the way: Naval Academy buddies who reacted swiftly when a tree fell on him in a wilderness competition; family <strong>and</strong> Navy officials who worked <strong>to</strong> get him back in<strong>to</strong> the academy; <strong>and</strong> Shepherd Center professionals who helped him start his rehabilitation. He came <strong>to</strong> Shepherd Center with one goal: “I was just hoping <strong>to</strong> get back <strong>to</strong> school at the academy.” Kevin, who had been a high school distance runner in his home<strong>to</strong>wn of Medway, Mass., was part of an “adventure racing” team at the Naval Academy. Teams navigate with a map <strong>and</strong> compass through wilderness areas <strong>to</strong> hit checkpoints while mountain biking, running, <strong>and</strong> kayaking or canoeing. On April 16, 2011, Kevin’s team was competing in a s<strong>to</strong>rm in the Shen<strong>and</strong>oah Valley near Front Royal, Va. “I don’t actually remember the accident,” he says. “We were mountain biking down a hill, me <strong>and</strong> three friends, <strong>and</strong> a big tree blew over. It hit me on the bike helmet, then rolled down my back <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong>ed on the tire, which s<strong>to</strong>pped the bike. And then I flew over the h<strong>and</strong>lebars. After that, my three buddies <strong>to</strong>ok care of me.” Two classmates used their coats <strong>to</strong> shelter him. A third spotted a house where he could get an address <strong>to</strong> guide an emergency airlift crew <strong>to</strong> their location in the forest. A spinal cord injury in Kevin’s lower back required surgery at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville. For rehabilitation, he came <strong>to</strong> Shepherd Center in May 2011. “I just loved the people at Shepherd,” Kevin says. “The nurses <strong>and</strong> therapists were great. It was a happy place; everybody liked their jobs. That trickled down <strong>to</strong> the patients <strong>and</strong> that made it a lot easier for everybody.” Herndon Murray, M.D., Kevin’s physician at Shepherd Center, remembers him as a great patient. “He’s a very high achiever,” Dr. Murray says. “He works hard <strong>and</strong> he’s a goal-oriented type person, or otherwise he wouldn’t have been in the Naval Academy. And I think that transferred over in<strong>to</strong> his rehabilitation.” Tina Raziano, military coordina<strong>to</strong>r for Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative, says Kevin’s humble attitude is common among military service members. “Kevin is one of those who has accomplished a lot <strong>and</strong> done tremendous work but is very modest <strong>and</strong> doesn’t like a lot of recognition,” she explains. Raziano was among many who helped Kevin, his family <strong>and</strong> the Naval Academy deal with his first-of-its-kind request <strong>to</strong> rejoin his classmates. “That was the most important part, just getting back <strong>to</strong> all my good friends,” Kevin says. “I have a close bond with my company. I was with a company of 40 kids right from the start, <strong>and</strong> I’m still friends with all of them <strong>to</strong>day.” After additional rehabilitation at the U.S. Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Roxbury, Mass., Kevin went home <strong>to</strong> Medway, worked out at the YMCA <strong>and</strong> caught up on his interrupted Naval Academy semester, thanks in part <strong>to</strong> his family’s season tickets for Navy football. Before each Saturday home game, he <strong>and</strong> his parents drove <strong>to</strong> Annapolis on Thursday so Kevin could take a make-up final exam on Friday. He had piled up extra credits before the accident, so he graduated with his company on May 29, 2012. His injury precluded a Navy commission, so he decided on law school. He began classes at George<strong>to</strong>wn in August 2012. He lives alone in an apartment near the campus. He hangs out with friends on weekends <strong>and</strong> smiles politely when people praise his accomplishments, even though he wishes they would talk about something else. His wheelchair is a fact of life, but it’s nowhere near the most important thing about him. “I just try <strong>to</strong> live my life normally <strong>and</strong> don’t focus on disability at all,” Kevin says. “Occasionally, you run in<strong>to</strong> problems. Sometimes you can get around them; other times you can’t. If you can’t get in one restaurant, just go <strong>to</strong> a different one.” Kevin hasn’t settled on career goals <strong>and</strong> doesn’t worry about that. As he says in characteristically few words: “I am very happy where I am.” More online at ShepherdCenterMagazine.org “He’s a very high achiever. He works hard <strong>and</strong> he’s a goal-oriented type person, or otherwise he wouldn’t have been in the Naval Academy. And I think that transferred over in<strong>to</strong> his rehabilitation.” Spinal Column ® / Summer 2013 • 23
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