My Story

My name is Tommy McGuire and I am 30 years old. I grew up about a half hour north of NYC in West Nyack, New York. I have a loving father, mother and younger brother Andrew. I am also blessed to have a large extended family with 29 first cousins. 

 

Growing up I enjoyed hanging out with friends, playing sports, going to the movies and going on vacation. My mom would take us to visit Sanibel Island, Florida where we would visit my grandparents and go to the beach. My Dad, brother and I went around the country five summers in a row visiting all the MLB stadiums - ok maybe we missed a few but we created many unforgettable memories together! 

 

In 2007 I attended Clarkstown South High School where I played football, basketball, and baseball. Football was my main passion, as I was the starting quarterback of our team and named one of our team captains. I earned awards, such as First Team All Section and All County. Football was a great way to build relationships and I was fortunate enough to be on the team with five of my best friends. Little did I know, the relationships I built with these friends would continue on to this day.

 

After graduating high school in 2011, I decided to continue playing football at St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. I later transferred to Manhattan College where I graduated with a marketing degree in 2016. It was at Manhattan where I first lived outside of home other than a dorm room. It was so exciting, I can vividly recall that first night being there. I shared an apartment off campus with three of my same high school friends and we created many core memories.

 

One month post-graduation we celebrated with a graduation party at a close friend's house. We were all hanging out in the back yard area when I made a split decision to jump into the pool. I wanted to do a flip, which I had done many times before, however I misjudged how far to jump from. This caused my head to hit the side of the pool. As I hit the water, I immediately felt my entire body shut down and the last thing I remember was staring up at the water wondering if I would ever make it back to the surface. It was at that moment, I decided to just shut my eyes, not knowing if I would ever open them again.

 

Two days later I awoke in Westchester Medical Center with no knowledge of what happened to my body. The initial diagnosis they gave my parents was a C3 –C4 incomplete spinal cord fracture. The first crazy story I have (which I have many) is that I had no idea where I was, but knew I was extremely thirsty. There was a sink in the corner of the room and for the life of me I could not understand why I was unable to move my legs to walk over to the sink and quench my dying thirst at the moment. My legs felt so heavy and I didn't know where I was or what was going on. To this day I still cannot remember a doctor directly saying to my face that I am a quadriplegic without the ability to move anything below my neck. The doctors also informed my parents that I would never be able to move anything below my neck or be able to breathe on my own without the use of a ventilator.

 

This devastating news caused me to struggle mentally, but I was not going to let it break me. I spent the next two weeks in Westchester Medical Hospital. I had tubes attached to me assisting me to breathe, but no way of having verbal communication. I was also not allowed to eat or even drink water. It was a very rough time for me my family and my friends. Two weeks later I was transferred to Helen Hayes Rehabilitation Hospital in Haverstraw, New York. After first arriving, I spent 55 days indoors before I was allowed to breathe fresh air from outside. I was there for five months before eventually making it home. I attribute a lot of my success today to the incredible therapy I received at HHH.

 

I finally returned home November 1, 2016 to a brand new residence where I had to learn to adapt to a life that no one could imagine. The early years post-hospital were extremely tough for me and my family. I had many different occasions of experiencing migraine headaches, catheter issues, stomach pain and autonomic dysreflexia. However I kept fighting, as did the family and friends around me. We decided to create a fundraising flag football event which each year we had over 220 kids participating. It allowed me to buy myself a brand new power chair which allows me to stand up at home. Only a short six months after coming home, I started going to outpatient therapy at Push To Walk in New Jersey. It was there where I learned how to balance myself at the end of the table as well as walk assisted in an apparatus around the gym for 45 minutes. This was a slow process but I am happy to say I am continuing at a great pace and exceeding expectations!

​

As the years have progressed I have gained more and more strength, both physically and mentally. I'm living on my own right now with the help of 24-hour care. There are still many challenges I face each day. However with patience and perspective I continue moving forward. It takes mental resilience, a positive attitude, and having a great support team around me. Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope for the opportunity to share it with you in person!

​

If you'd like to book my services, please contact me at tmcguirecoach@gmail.com.