Keaton’s Story

June 27, 2020 was a life changing day for Keaton Schoonover. While on vacation at his family’s cabin at Bear Lake, Keaton was ready for a swim. He ran across the 60 ft dock to dive into the lake. Not realizing how shallow the water was, he dove head-first into only a foot and a half of water. Hitting his head on the ground under the water, tragically, paralyzed his entire body. He was face down in the water, unable to move.

From the beach, Tiffany (Keaton's girlfriend) could see Keaton in the water. Immediately, she jumped into the water and rolled him over. Keaton, still alert and responsive, told her he couldn't move. Tiffany and other family members pulled Keaton from the water, placed him on a mat, and anxiously waited for an ambulance to arrive.

Moments later, Keaton was rushed in an ambulance to the nearest hospital. After a few CT scans, the ER doctors diagnosed him with some cracked vertebrae. They gave him a brace, told him to go home and rest, and said they were optimistic that he would have a full recovery.

But Keaton’s mom wasn’t convinced. Though she didn’t have any medical training, she felt strongly that Keaton may have some injuries that the ER doctors didn’t discover.

"He was completely broken," Keaton’s mom said.

He had started to wiggle his feet, but the pain was unbearable. "I was hypersensitive," Keaton said, "As we drove, I could feel the paint lines in the roads when you change lanes. It was [torture] when we went over a bridge or bumps in the road."

Four days later, Keaton had an MRI. It showed he had torn ligaments on the anterior side of his neck and spine in addition to the already diagnosed cracked thoracic vertebrae, which had caused bruising and damage to his spinal cord.

After this news, the Schoonover family shared an update of Keaton’s situation to a trusted neighbor who was also a chiropractor. He referred them to Dr. John Edwards. That night they received a call from Dr. Edwards, who had reviewed the case and confirmed Keaton would need further medical care, including surgery to repair the damage.

However, because of misdiagnosis at the ER, there were insurance coverage problems with Keaton’s new medical treatment plan. Dr. Edwards and the staff at Summit Brain and Spine fought for Keaton every step of the way. Keaton said, "I loved all the support from them, because they provided me with the information and updates I needed. They recognized there was a problem and I appreciated that.”

But he still had to wait.

While a student at the University of Utah, Keaton was very physically active. He played rugby, he biked and also trained as a rock-climber. But after his accident, he could hardly function. “For a month, I couldn’t walk on my own. I was held up,” Keaton said. "The big question was, 'Will I ever be able to climb again? Will I ever grab onto handlebars or throw a football again?"

Finally, on August 20th, almost three months after his injury, Keaton had his surgery. After his surgery, Keaton was determined to do all he could to aid his recovery. To practice his balance, he would place notes on the wall and try to reach out and touch them. To help his body system recalculate its coordination, he would also pick up beads with his hands and move his feet.

Little by little, Keaton started to regain his mobility. Recently, he and Tiffany married. Keaton was able to stand and walk for their special day. As his recovery continues, he walks and hikes to stay in shape. Keaton also does a lot of biking to improve his condition. Recently, Dr. Edwards approved him to start climbing again.

Keaton’s advice to others in similar situations is, "You just can't give up. But there are points when you want to give up--when you want to let everyone do everything for you--but you just have to fight for a footstep."

He said his will to fight is the most critical aspect of his recovery. "It helps me take two more steps today than yesterday." Right now, for Keaton, that’s enough.