Jason Norwood has described himself as a “hobby guy,” and isn’t letting anything hold him back after suffering a spinal cord injury last year.
Norwood, a resident of Howell, was paralyzed from the chest down after a dirt bike crash in July 2025 on a friend’s private track in South Lyon. Norwood told The Daily he was supposed to have lunch with his father that day, but decided to go to the track to practice.
He was alone on the track for a moment, he recalled. His friends heard his dirt bike shut off after the crash and found him.
“I was completely unconscious,” Norwood said. “I was knocked out.”
Norwood didn’t wake up immediately. His friends called for help and an ambulance. Norwood remembers asking, “Are you going to help me up?” Then he blacked out.
Norwood, 27, was life-flighted to the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. He suffered severe trauma to his T7 and T8 vertebrae, a head injury, multiple broken ribs and neck fractures. After surgery, he remained at the hospital for nine days before being transferred to Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids to begin his recovery.
“I didn’t realize my body was ready,” Norwood said. “Once I got to Mary Free Bed, that feeling really increased.”
Norwood worked with a team of occupational therapists to navigate his new normal. They taught him how to get into his wheelchair, get in and out of cars, and use the restroom.
“It’s fifteen more steps than what you’re usually used to,” he said.
Kali Hall, a physical therapist on the spinal cord team at Mary Free Bed, said she helped Norwood lift weights and worked with him in the pool — smiling when she saw him swim by himself for the first time.
“He set the limit for the stars, and we just worked alongside him. … He’s so creative, we put our brains together and came up with a lot of opportunities,” Hall said. “He didn’t let his body limit him at all.”
Norwood spent 27 days at Mary Free Bed. He’s continued his rehabilitation at Level Eleven Physical Therapy in Howell, with sessions twice a week. He can now stand with parallel bars.
“They’ve elevated my experience,” Norwood said. “It was a great carryover from Mary Free Bed to Level Eleven.”
Norwood said the wintertime was difficult, as he was limited in his activities. He’s relied on his girlfriend, Sierra, during his recovery. The couple is searching for a home to suit Norwood’s needs. They also have a Golden Retriever, London, named after a therapy dog Norwood met at the hospital in Ann Arbor.
Family, friends and the motocross community offered financial support via GoFundMe to help Norwood in his recovery, donating more than $144,000. Norwood said the funds helped him pay off medical debt and purchase an all-terrain wheelchair to use outdoors.
Norwood works three days a week at FMG Concrete Cutting in Brighton. He’s also been participating in adaptive sports, with a goal of competing in shooting competitions. In May, he’s traveling to Virginia Beach to surf with the U.S. Para Surf Team.
Norwood also received “Clifford the Van,” a big, red vehicle gifted by the widow of a former patient at Mary Free Bed. She wanted the car to go to someone in need.
Norwood hopes to share his story with others — noting spinal cord injuries happen in the extreme sports world, but it’s possible to recover and live a fulfilling life.
“(Months one and two) were very difficult for me,” he said. “Those are the hardest times to get out of bed and to get rolling and to want to do things. As eager as you are, you have to be patient. I know the anxiety it causes just sitting in the chair. … I’d love to be able to share how I dealt with that.”
Hall said Norwood had a positive influence on patients and staff at Mary Free Bed.
“He has this limitless personality,” she said. “Everyone here was touched by him. … He’s the kind of guy you want to be around all the time because he brings so much joy everywhere he goes and shows people you’re only limited by your mindset.”
— Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at esasiela@livingstondaily.com. Follow him on X @SalsaEvan.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Howell man paralyzed after dirt bike crash shows resilience in recovery
Reporting by Evan Sasiela, Livingston Daily / Livingston Daily
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
