KELOWNA — It was three weeks ago when Judah Campbell was involved in a life changing injury. During a rugby match he was tackled from behind and as his head hit the ground he heard a snap.
“I was lying there on the field and I tried to move but nothing was moving I was just kind of numb all over,” said Campbell.
Campbell fractured two vertebrae. With no feeling in his arms or legs, his immediate fear: he’d be in a wheelchair for life.
Remarkably, a day later, Campbell regained some movement in his toes, then more movement in his legs and eventually his arms. He’s now even taking baby steps.
“Being able to do things for myself again is awesome just getting a little bit of independence makes all the difference,” the 24 year old said.
But just as his mood began to lift, he was dealt another blow. The mandatory insurance every player signs up for with Rugby Canada — might not cover his injuries. In the event of a catastrophic injury where someone loses an eye or becomes paraplegic or quadriplegic, the insurance will kick in. Because Campbell regained movement, for the time being, he won’t see a penny.
“We’re just told it doesn’t apply to that,” said Wesley Campbell, Judah’s father.
“You would expect… with catastrophic injury there’ll be something.”
Rugby Canada says it’s still too early to determine whether Campbell will be covered by insurance because a medical prognosis could take months. If it’s shown this is something he won’t be able to fully recover from, there’s a chance he’ll be covered.
“We work hard on the insurance policy but in order to activate it you have to know what you’re activating and right now it could still be months before we know what it is the prognosis will be for him,” said Graham Brown, CEO of Rubgy Canada.
Campbell will never play rugby again but with fundraising through Rugby Canada and the community, more than $40,000 has been raised. A bright spot in – what has been – a devastating few weeks for Campbell.
Go to his webpage or Rugby Canada’s to donate.
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