CINCINNATI — Cincinnati-native Ryan Custer fell in love with basketball when he was a kid.
“Ever since I was a little kid, my dream was to go division one and play Division 1 basketball,” Custer said. "And I only played it for a year, but to say I was able to step on a Division 1 basketball floor and compete is one of the most things I’m proud of.”
But his collegiate career at Wright State was cut short when he suffered a traumatic spinal injury while attending a party at Miami University with his teammates.
“We were there, and they had a makeshift pool and for whatever reason, I just wanted to slide into it, and I did it,” he recalls. “It was such a freak accident. One inch another way, and I would have gotten up perfectly fine.”
Custer shattered his C-5 vertebra, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down.
“Next thing I know, I’m in a helicopter, being air-cared to the hospital,” Custer said. “The first thing I really remember seeing was my parents when I got wheeled into that hospital. All I could see was the ceiling. As soon as I saw their face, all I could say was I’m sorry.”
It was the scariest moment of his life not knowing what the future would hold. But through the injury, his parents have been by his side, helping him every day.
“They’re the two greatest people you will ever meet,” he said. “I can’t thank them enough for everything and not even them — the rest of my family. My two sisters and my brother. I can’t thank them enough, and they’re my support system and the reason I get up every day.”
Now, his recovery journey is being highlighted in the new documentary "Ending Disease’"— a film about clinical trials using stem cell treatments to help obtain a possible cure for patients with diseases and traumatic injuries.
“When we heard that I was gonna be able to do a stem cell injection we jumped right on it,” he said. “And did it work out as good as I hoped? No. But I believe I got something back from it. And it’s definitely benefitted my life, and I think the cherry on top was Joe, the producer of the film, reaching out to the doctor that was doing my stem cell and wanting me to be a part of it.”
The film is being shown by the Neon Theatre in Dayton virtually for $10.
Custer is hopeful that his story can bring optimism to others.
“Whatever they get out of that film, I just hope they see that there’s hope in the world,” Custer said. “That you know, things are gonna suck and life is gonna suck sometimes, but it’s about how you fight and how you push through it.”
He is progressively becoming more independent. Since his stem cell treatment, he’s regained some mobility in his left wrist — and now he’s able to drive a car by using a hand control.
“I definitely think it benefitted me,” Custer said. “And actually, just this past summer, I had surgery on my right wrist for a tendon transfer on my wrist to hopefully give me back my right wrist to be able to pick more stuff up. Whether that’s driving, it’s just gonna simplify a lot of things. I’m definitely grateful that I was able to participate in the stem cell because, again, who knows where I would be if I didn’t have it.”
He’s also set to graduate from the University of Cincinnati in 2021. He said his approach to stay optimistic is guided by a six word axiom.
“What’s done is done — fight on,” Custer said. “You’re not going to be able to control every aspect of your life. You’re gonna have bad days. I have bad days where I just wanna lay in bed and not even do anything in the world. That’s OK. There’s nothing wrong with that. You can’t control what’s in the past you just gotta keep fighting and live every day like it’s gonna be your best one, and that’s what I try to do.”
If you would like to follow Custer’s journey you can do so by on Facebook by liking Ryan Custer’s Recovery Care Page.