NEWPORT BEACH : A Dirt Bike Flips; Lives Overturned

In his father’s home, Forrest Nelson sits in his wheelchair, an apparatus that he is told he will need for the rest of his life.

A dirt-bike accident in the Yucca Valley in August resulted in a broken left collarbone and severed spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. It has also prompted him to reassess his life, set new goals and strengthen his family relationships.

Until the accident, Nelson, at 21, had been working for a sheet-metal company, living with his girlfriend, playing volleyball with friends. The weekend trip to the desert was a typical outing for Nelson and his friends, and was to have been their last one before scattering to other states to attend school or start new jobs.

But after only 15 minutes of riding his bike in a riverbed, Nelson--who had played soccer at Newport Harbor High School--hit especially soft dirt in the riverbed. He flew over the handlebars, landing 20 feet away, flat on his back.

“It was real close,” Nelson said. “I’m thankful to my friends. It’s because of them that I’m still around.”

His friends called for help and shielded him from the hot sun while his girlfriend, Norrisa Strauch, 18, wiped dirt from his eyes and mouth and tended to the abrasions. Although he was conscious, he does not remember those first few moments.

“I was pretty ornery from what people tell me. I was fighting to get up and not letting people stick the IVs in me,” he said.

Since the accident, Strauch and Nelson have been immersed in the world of the handicapped, thankful for close parking spaces, ramps and accessible bathrooms. Both of them have learned more medical terminology than they could ever imagine. And despite the change in their lives, they have decided to hold on to their dream of moving to Hawaii, where Nelson grew up.

They had already bought airline tickets to leave in December. But now, they are facing mounting medical bills and Nelson’s inability to return to his job.

“Our savings are pretty diminished,” Strauch said. Nelson was released from a rehabilitative hospital just last week.

Friends have set up a fund to help them get to Kauai, where Nelson’s mother lives and where the young couple hope to find jobs. Nelson is interested in woodworking and Strauch has a chance to work at some horse stables. They also hope to buy a car that can be operated by hand.

“When it first happened, it was pretty devastating because my best buddy’s not going to walk anymore,” said Ken Willcut, 22, who was riding with Nelson when the accident happened. “I had a hard time sleeping for a while, but I’m glad he’s out and I’m glad he’s got such a good attitude.”

Friends have kept their promises of treating Nelson no differently than before the accident, Strauch says, and they are finding that family members have learned to put aside past disagreements with Nelson. ‘There’s no time or room for petty games when something like this happens. It really opens your heart,” Strauch said.

Strauch and Nelson both say they have learned to appreciate what they have, especially after seeing quadriplegics in the hospital who couldn’t talk or eat or go to the bathroom by themselves.

“That’s really a lousy deal,” Nelson said. “Before the accident, I thought that I wouldn’t be able to handle it, but you just take what you’re dealt.”

Added Strauch: “I’m really thankful for his arms because I still get great hugs.”