Our firm’s San Diego spinal cord injury lawyers will tell you that fitness is something that does everybody good.  For one Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer, however, it is saving and changing her life one arm pump at a time.

Kristina Ripatti of the LAPD was paralyzed by a gunshot wound four years ago, but is now able to surf again using her arms, according to the Los Angeles Times.  For Ripatti — someone who was always involved in sports — part of living with paralysis is living a healthy lifestyle as well.

A paraplegic LAPD officer uses fitness as a form of treatment.

Kristina Ripatti, an LAPD officer shot three times in 2006, uses fitness as a way to help treat her paraplegia and do the activities she enjoys in life. (Source: The Los Angeles Times)

Nobody expected Ripatti to survive after she was shot three times in the line of duty in June, 2006.  The bullet slipped into the side of her bullet-proof vest, severing her spinal cord, and left her paralyzed from the chest down.

Once doctors told Ripatti and her husband, Tim Pearce, that she would live the rest of her life as a paraplegic, Pearce decided to help out with the spinal cord injury treatment in the best way he knew how:  getting his wife back to doing the things she loved, even if there were going to be limitations.

Biking and fishing were top of the list, but Pearce was inspired by a documentary about Jesse Billaur, a surfer who was paralyzed in a wave-riding accident, but was able to return to the water using special equipment and training.  Pearce decided to find Billaur.

“I couldn’t wait to get back to the gym.  I needed to be strong again, even if I was going to be in a chair,” said Ripatti, now 37-years-old.  She spent two months in intensive physical therapy and rehabilitation after she was released from California Hospital Medical Center.

From there, it was getting back to doing the activities she loved and training to do them with her arms instead of her legs.  A trainer helps to lift Ripatti up at her gym so that she can do the proper exercises and Billauer taught her how to surf while lying on her stomach as opposed to standing.

Our San Diego spinal cord injury lawyers believe that there are many stories just like this one which shows how you can still lead a fulfilling life despite being paralyzed.  If Ripatti can do it, so can anyone else, as long as you are willing to work hard and believe in yourself.

These days, when Pearce and Ripatti surf together, he carries his wife into the water before pushing her board beyond the surf line using special fins.  Ripatti takes over from there, with Pearce swimming a short distance away, but letting Ripatti ride the waves using only her arms and her determination.

If you or someone you know has a spinal cord injury or were paralyzed, contact our bilingual San Diego law firm at 1-800-655-6585 for a FREE consultation with an experienced spinal cord injury lawyer.  You may also click here and submit your case for a FREE online review.  We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you owe us nothing until we recover a fair settlement on your behalf.

About Michael Pines

Michael Pines is a former insurance company attorney who specializes in car accident injury. While he was an insurance attorney, he learned from behind the scenes on how insurance companies work and how they decided to pay injured people. Now that he works against insurance companies, Michael's inside knowledge has resulted in significant benefits to his clients injured in car accidents.