Andrew Cho is fortunate to be alive.
The 29-year-old Vancouver man started feeling dizzy while out at a dinner with friends last Friday.
What he didn’t know at the time was that a blood vessel had burst in his spine.
He went home and, after unlocking the door in case he needed medical help, he collapsed, paralyzed from the neck down.
Lying on the floor, he saw his iPhone about 10 inches away.
He was in great physical shape thanks to his years as a competitive mountain biker.
So he summoned the strength of body and mind and used his chin to drag himself to his phone.
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After trying about five times, Cho managed to use his tongue to activate the Siri voice command system and call 911.
He underwent emergency surgery at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH) and is now undergoing therapy there.
Cho has regained some mobility in his right side and is slowly improving.
And while he has a long road to recovery, there is hope that Cho is going to be able to walk out of the hospital one day.
“He’s definitely coming along, he’s making progress every day.”
“He’s definitely coming along, he’s making progress every day,” best friend Danny Brody told Global News.
“Every day we’re seeing baby steps made.”
A GoFundMe account has been set up to pay for Cho’s medical bills, with a fundraising goal of $75,000. It had raised just over $73,000 on Friday night.
“I just want to say thank you to every one of you guys who has contributed to the campaign,” Cho said.
“I plan on making a full recovery and getting out of here.”