Kelly Shade

Kelly Shade loved looking after his ranch and spending time outdoors until he suffered a severe spinal cord injury.

Kelly Shade of Seguin, TX is an active 63-year-old who spends much of his free time enjoying the great outdoors. He has been married to his loving wife, Kathleen, for 37 years. They both enjoy spending time with their two children and three grandchildren. Kelly stays busy taking care of his ranch. He also enjoys landscaping, looking after his animals and plants, and riding his horses. His faith and ministry are very important to him as well.

One September day, Kelly’s life changed forever. He was thrown off his horse and landed on his head, breaking his neck in the process. Kelly immediately went to the hospital. There, they informed him that he suffered a spinal cord injury, which resulted in paralysis in his upper and lower limbs.

Kelly’s neurosurgeon compared his C2-C5 spinal cord injury to that of late actor Christopher Reeve. Seeing that he had some sensation left in his limbs, they quickly got him into surgery. Following surgery, Kelly needed rehabilitation to help him regain his strength and independence.

After researching various facilities, Kelly decided to transfer to New Braunfels Regional Rehabilitation Hospital. Recovering close to home was extremely important to him and his wife. They wanted their support system of friends and family nearby throughout Kelly’s healing journey.

“When I first got to NBRRH, I couldn’t walk or feed myself. The staff was so encouraging throughout my stay and taught me how to do these things again. The therapist would take me as far as I could go and gave me the reassurance and support I needed to succeed,” Kelly stated.

Because of his hard work, determination, and steadfast faith, Kelly made incredible progress throughout his 40-day stay at NBRRH. He regained the ability to walk and even developed movement in his left hand. His progress was phenomenal! Staff members joined in his excitement as he regained his abilities and became more independent. One of his therapists described him as “one of the most motivating and positive patients.”

Today, Kelly is back at the ranch with his wife and animals, but rehabilitation isn’t over yet. He is receiving home health therapy and continues working hard to make progress every day. His inspiring story is why we do what we do at NBRRH. We look forward to seeing where his adventures take him next.

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