Shining star
Muir alumni pay tribute to paralyzed former football star Victor Wright
By Carl Kozlowski 01/11/2007
In the fall of 1976, Victor Wright was living his dream of playing football for the John Muir High School Mustangs, his Friday afternoons filled with the excitement of being a rising star fullback for the team.
But in one tragic play in a game against St. Francis High, Wright's athletic ambitions were snatched away from him as he was rendered paraplegic by a devastating tackle.
While his body was changed forever, Wright's spirit remained strong as he focused his indomitable energy toward the goal of earning a college degree. He also became friends with some of his biggest idols in football, from former University of Michigan coach Bo Schembechler to HBO's “Inside the NFL” host Bryant Gumbel.
Next Thursday night, the John Muir High Alumni Association and the group Friends of Victor Wright will honor Wright's unwavering courage with a special assembly at the high school's Rufus Mead Auditorium. Hundreds of his former classmates, family members, teachers and current Muir students are expected to attend and give him a strong show of support and encouragement.
“The night is not a fundraiser but just a night honoring him for what he represents to his school and community and to mark 30 years of courage, dedication and inspiration,” said David Rutherford, a friend of Wright's since they attended fourth grade together at the now-defunct Edison Elementary. “At this point in his life, it's beyond money, and has everything to do with the fact he still has a lot of people out there who love him and care about him, and we're hoping to get a big turnout. As he describes it, once the curtain comes down and all the accolades are given and graduations are held, a lot of people fade out of your life — not just his but everyone's. But he's still there, and it helps to know he still has friends who care.”
Rutherford noted that Wright has managed to survive for 30 years in his condition, while many quadriplegics succumb to various illnesses or bedsores after even 10 or 15 years of paralysis. The primary reason for Wright's longevity is the round-the-clock care his family offers him in their Altadena home. In fact, Wright's oldest brother, Dexter, changed career plans from his original goal to be a minister to become a nurse in order to provide thorough care for Victor.
That level of devotion is extraordinary in the care of those with spinal cord injuries, which the National Spinal Cord Injury Association estimates comprises 250,000 Americans with an additional 11,000 such injuries occurring yearly. And it offers hope that Wright will be able to survive well into the future, as the association regularly hears stories of people who have survived even 40 or 50 years after their injuries.
Despite the fact that the Muir event is not intended as a fundraiser, Rutherford noted that donations have helped the family contend with Wright's enormous medical expenses over the years. Despite the fact he will receive money for life from Muir High due to the injury, bureaucratic details prevent him from being eligible for MediCal coverage.
“I've been involved in several events involving Victor over the years, dating back to bike-a-thons and even a golfing fundraiser in 2001,” said Rutherford. “When he attended our 20-year class reunion in 1999, over 140 people were there and there wasn't a dry eye in the house. He's my friend, and a true inspiration.”
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