Survivor Giving Back Story

2014 Cole Sydnor's Story

On August 11, 2011, 16-year-old Cole Sydnor dove into the James River and broke his neck. The resulting spinal cord injury left him paralyzed from the chest down.

Then Cole began sharing his experience in order to help others avoid spinal cord injuries. In 2014, he was the recipient of the Trauma Survivor Giving Back Award.

VCU Medical Center is one of only two nationally recognized Level I trauma centers in Virginia. Patients are admitted into the trauma center for a variety of reasons that include vehicle crashes, falls, burns and unintentional injuries.