NORFOLK, Va. — A 16-year-old Chesapeake competitive gymnast has been forced to take a break from the sport after suffering a neck injury.
While practicing at an open gym, Cody Bennett said he made a mistake and let go of the “high bar” too early. From there, Cody got “stuck in the air” and realized he didn't know where he was.
That's when Cody passed the foam pit and fell straight onto the floor on his neck.
“I hit the ground and everything just kind of went numb. My first thought was that I was paralyzed,” Cody explained.
After his friend called 911, Cody was taken to the hospital where he realized he could not feel anything below his stomach.
He was rushed into surgery within six hours of the initial injury to fix the fracture in his neck and relieve compression on his spine.
A few days after the surgery, Cody was able to make slight movements and have feelings where he couldn't before.
“He moved his foot, and goes, ‘I've never heard so many people celebrate the movement of a foot before,’” his father, Doug Bennett, said with a laugh.
Cody grew up loving gymnastics. Starting at just two years old, Doug said you could constantly find his son tumbling around the house.
“From the age of two, he was always rolling around and tumbling off couches. We honestly put him in gymnastics to get the energy out,” he explained.
Both Doug and Cody’s mom, Megan Buchholz, organized a GoFundMe with a goal of $50,000 to help cover the hospital bills and rehab bills they are facing.
“Gymnastics is his passion, it's his world, and if he can't do it... I just can't imagine a world where Cody’s not a gymnast,” his mother said.
Cody’s parents both hope he will be transferred to an inpatient rehab facility that specializes in spinal cord injuries in Richmond this week. Until then, Cody’s friends and family continue to support him through this extremely difficult point in his life.
“We're going to set some realistic, but high goals, for when he will be standing again, walking again, and when he's going to be flipping again. Because he's going to be flipping again,” Megan said.