"It has not broken my spirit": Golden Valley pastor partially paralyzed after slip on ice

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. -- A slip on the ice ended with a life-changing injury for a pastor in Golden Valley and Brooklyn Park. The fall on Dec. 16 left 64-year-old David Kent partially paralyzed.

"Accidents happen. That's why they call them accidents right," Kent joked from his hospital bed at North Memorial Hospital.

The pastor fell on the ice outside his church, Christian Life Center in Golden Valley.

"I slipped and fell on my back tailbone, and immediately I had no feeling in my hands or legs and I knew I was paralyzed," he said.

He broke his neck and was rushed into surgery. At first, he says he couldn't move his arms, legs, hands or feet. But after weeks of physical therapy, he's able to have some movement in his arms.  

"My left hand is stronger than my right hand, it's not able to do much," he said.

He prays one day he will be able to walk again or be able to play his guitar.

"I still have my family. I still have my grandchildren, so many good things to be thankful for," he said.

During his recovery, he's leaned on his faith and the support of his community and family including his wife of 45 years, Susan.

"He helps to help me be more optimistic because he's the one going through it, if he's being like that I surely can too," Susan said.

According to the CDC, around a million Americans are injured annually falling on ice or snow. Of those, 17,000 of the injuries are fatal.

"Living in Minnesota we get a ton of falls on ice but I do feel this year we've had an influx, a crazy amount of snow and with that those freezing temperatures and ice there have been a ton of falls," Dr. Cassie Yager said.

Being self-insured, Kent faces an expensive recovery as he looks to be accepted into an in-patient rehabilitation facility.

"The fall has broken this body of mine. There's no question I have major, major, concerns going forward but it has not broken my spirit, it has not broken who I am," he said.