May 14, 1999
Jesse Muñoz had no fear of the ocean because he was an excellent swimmer and an accomplished boogie boarder. So when he and his church friends headed to the beach, Muñoz went straight for the water.
He dashed through the surf, dove over a wave and landed head first in shallow water —where he floated helplessly for nearly three minutes. Even though the accident happened almost four years ago, Muñoz can recall his tears as he willed his arms and legs to move.
"I didn't think you could break your neck and still live," said Muñoz. He underwent eight hours of surgery to fuse his neck, and regained limited movement in his arms.
By the time he reached Sharp Rehabilitation Center in Kearny Mesa one month later, his voice was barely a whisper and he couldn't even sit in a wheelchair. The inpatient rehabilitation process took months, but his positive attitude and the constant encouragement from his therapists and family kept him going.
"Jesse was goal-focused from day one," said his physical therapist Delphine Ferenczy. "He came here emotionally ready to meet the rehabilitation challenges head-on with a sense of optimism and good humor."
For his inspiration to others facing difficult challenges, Muñoz of Chula Vista has been selected to receive the 1999 Eagle Spirit Award from Sharp HealthCare Rehabilitation Services.
The annual awards program honors persons with disabilities who have overcome traumatic injury to regain healthy, productive lives. The award will be presented to Muñoz and seven other recipients during the Ninth Annual Victories of Spirit awards ceremony and dinner Wednesday, May 19, at the Sheraton Harbor Island. The event is being emceed by television news anchor Bree Walker and her husband, sportscaster Jim Lampley.
Extensive therapy kept Muñoz from attending his senior year at Mar Vista High School in Chula Vista, but it didn't keep him from graduating with his class. While undergoing outpatient ther-apy, Muñoz managed six months of crash course studying with the help of his family and earned a 3.8 grade average. At commencement, he received his diploma from his wheelchair.
Muñoz enrolled in Bible college, but then decided to find a job to help his family financially. Through the help of a family friend, he landed a job as a greeter at Wal Mart. Within two weeks, he moved over to sporting goods where he eventually ended up as the department manager responsible for seven employees and $1.6 million in sales.
The job at Wal Mart has since been scaled back so Muñoz can focus on finishing college. He hopes to use his talents to become a church counselor and work with people.
"Through all of this, I think God is making me stronger so I can inspire other people," Muñoz said. "I am either encouraged by every person I come in contact with, or they are encouraged by me."
Return
to Frontpage