Thomas Michael Higgins saved Kyle J. Potter from being struck by a sled, Spokane, Washington, January 1, 2000. Kyle, 7, was at the bottom of a steep, snow-covered hill as a teen-age boy sitting backward in an inflatable sled sped down the hill toward him. Standing nearby, Higgins, 37, medical assistant, saw Kyle in the sled’s path. He immediately ran to the boy and lifted him into his arms just before the sled struck him, in the legs. Kyle was thrown into the air and landed nearby, injured only slightly. Higgins was knocked from his feet and fell headfirst to the ground, the impact severely injuring his spine and rendering him quadriplegic. He was flown to the hospital, where he underwent emergency back surgery. Hospitalized four months, Higgins regained slight movement in his hands, arms, and a leg.
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