Paducah, KY : A serious motorcycle accident on Saturday, December, 9th 2017

For Michael Phillips, a serious motorcycle accident was less life-changing than it might have been.

Beyond the bones-breaking crash and a grueling recovery process, life went on for the Marshall County native: He continued his education. He got back on his feet. He got back on the bike.

"I don't want to be scared of something," said Phillips, 23. "If you don't get back on, you're going to be scared of it. And you're going to be scared of falling off every time. I don't want to be that way."

Phillips will graduate tonight from West Kentucky Community and Technical College with an associate's degree in automotive technology during a ceremony at the Luther F. Carson Center.

After eight months in a wheelchair, he's happy to be walking down the aisle.

In June 2016, Phillips said he was driving home from work when another driver failed to yield, causing him to swerve.

The injuries were severe: He had a shattered pelvis and broken left femur. His back, neck and left shoulder were fractured.

He was taken to TriStar Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and later began physical therapy at Lourdes hospital.

During that time, a fear of the unknown weighed on his mind.

"I didn't know if I was going to be able to walk again," he said.

"Or get back to doing things (I enjoyed). During the pain I didn't know what all was wrong with me. I pretty much lost all the muscles in my legs and had to build my strength back up. You know how lifting weights is? It kills your muscles and hurts for a while."

Life seemed to pause, but he was able to keep up with school, thanks to Robert Gunn, WKCTC automotive technology program coordinator.

Gunn's visits to the hospital were frequent, Phillips said, even during a busy summer semester.

"He had a lot to do with (my recovery)," Phillips said. "He was determined. He didn't give up on me. It made me think I was going to be able to get back to things."

Phillips returned to class in a wheelchair and eventually resumed work at Purchase Ford Lincoln as a technician.

He now plans to major in automotive engineering at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale.

Life is not fully back to normal -- running and strenuous activity are still difficult -- but Phillips said he walked away with one realization.

"There's more people who care about you than you think," he said. "This shows people are out there who will treat you like family."

Source :
Student will graduate after harrowing crash