Synopsis

This is the true story of 12 year old Billy Spahn, a happy, athletic, energetic kid from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Going up to his family’s cottage was always the highlight of his summer. On July 3, 1975, Billy dove into the lake and broke his neck. In one brief moment, his life was instantly changed forever. His family was told he was a quadriplegic and he should be put in a nursing home. They were told he would never even be able to sit up in a wheelchair. His family never accepted that prognosis and they never told Billy that he would would not walk again. Through a strong will, perseverance, courage, faith, hope and love of friends and family, Billy turned a horrible mistake into a mission to retrain his body to work with him, instead of against him. This is the story of one child’s strength and determination to get his life back. Billy’s only fault was wanting to have fun and this story tells the life-changing consequences he faced. Billy’s family refused to give up, willing to help him fight every step of the way. Never Give Up is the story of Bill Spahn and his fight against paralysis. Written by his sister Susan Spahn it tells of a family that loved each other so much they refused to believe the inevitable and instead searched for and found a miracle.

After diving off the end of a pier, Billy woke up in the hospital to the doctors telling him that, after breaking his neck, he would never walk again. His father was the first to refuse; his family and friends followed his lead. They would not let Billy just lie there and feel sorry for himself. His progress was slow, but remarkable. With the help of a physical therapist who quickly became just as determined as Billy’s family to get Billy back on his feet, the fight continued. One day at a time, sometimes even just one minutes at a time, Bill relearned how to live his life and he slowly relearns the gift of how to walk again.

This book was written in the hope that if it saves one child or family from going through what Billy went through it will have been worth it. This is an uplifting tale of a courageous young boy and his family. This book proves that sometimes the belief that you can do something is all that you need.