The movement started in Bryce McKinney’s arms. Slight movement returned to his wrists. It also has returned to his thumbs and some of his toes.

Courtesy photo from Robin McKinney

Ponchatoula junior Bryce McKinney pulls his physical therapist around the hospital during the Christmas break. McKinney became paralyzed in September during a football game.

And that is improvement the McKinney family will take.

Bryce McKinney, a junior at Ponchatoula High, suffered an incomplete injury to the C4 vertebra in his neck during a football game this past September. He was paralyzed.

Ever since, he has struggled to get his body back. For the past four and a half months, McKinney and his mother Robin have resided at The Shepherd Center, a catastrophic care hospital in Atlanta.

“It seems like forever,” said Robin McKinney, who has been with her son except for three hours to get clothes when he was transported from Baton Rouge – where he received immediate care – to Atlanta in September.

But in the nearly five months away, improvement has been made, though Robin said doctors aren't sure how much or how little the improvement there will be long term. Still, every time his physical therapist introduces a new exercise for him, he attacks with everything he has in him. The medication he takes, however, keeps him tired.

“But somehow, when he gets in therapy, he does what he needs to do,” his mother said. “He’s positive in his attitude. His attitude is he’s going to walk one day.”

It has been a long road for the 17-year-old. For seven weeks, he was on a ventilator. For an additional four weeks, she said, he used a tracheotomy to breathe.

Then he breathed on his own. Following that achievement, he finally ate on his own. And then the slight movement came in his arms. Then the wrists, thumbs and toes.

“They do a muscle test and he has some active muscles,” she said. “We’re hoping that it’s just a matter of time and strengthening that he’ll improve. It’s a long process and we’re keeping faith and looking forward to the thoughts and prayers from everyone that will get him through.”

It’s those prayers and thoughts, Robin said, that have helped her son and the family through the difficult times.

“The support is what keeps us going,” she said. “On a daily basis we get it from friends and family. It has meant everything.

“Thank everyone for prayers and thoughts and donations. We really appreciate it.”

To be sure, the youngster isn’t forgotten at home, despite not seeing his classmates for a quarter of the year.

“They ask every day,” Ponchatoula assistant principal Mary Beth Crovetto said. “They know I’m the person to go to. They all check the Web site for updates.”

The football team is hosting a block party on March 1 in downtown Ponchatoula. There also is a fishing raffle, where charter fishermen have donated more than 25 boats and three-person crews for a charter fishing trip.

For each event, students are the ones selling the tickets.

“They’re all very concerned,” Crovetto said. “It hit them all pretty hard. A lot of them have been playing football since fifth grade.”

Crovetto has been up to Atlanta to see Bryce and his mother. New Year’s, in fact, was the last time.

Her report from that visit – “He is a very funny (boy). He has a great sense of humor.”

Courtesy photo from Robin McKinney

Bryce McKinney, right, has regained slight movement in his wrists and thumbs, as well as some of his toes. He'll return home to Ponchatoula on Feb. 12 and will begin rehab locally soon thereafter.

Indeed, he does. Despite having little movement and control over his limbs, he found a way to enjoy the Christmas holidays. He hooked up a rope and wagon to the back of his motorized wheelchair. He then dressed as a reindeer and pulled his physical therapist around the halls of the hospital.

And being a teenager, he’s handy with computers. In fact, Crovetto said that’s how he is keeping up with friends, through email and their MySpace accounts.

That’s not all he’s keeping up with despite being more than 450 miles from home.

“He has been keeping up with his school work,” Crovetto said. “He will be on time. Our school system has a homebound program. When he went homebound, he was still in the hospital.”

So, teachers gave Crovetto videos of the novels his class is reading. He has a tutor while he rehabs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. When he finishes work, his mother mails the finished product back to the school.

Despite the improvements, there are still times that Bryce’s mother doesn’t feel warn out.

“If I concentrate really hard, I can probably keep from crying right now,” she said. “It has been a rollercoaster. You have good days when you’re positive. You have emotional days when you’re physically and mentally tired.”

Soon, though, she’ll finally get to sleep in her own bed again. Besides the slight movement that has returned, there is more good news. Robin and Bryce will come home on Feb. 12 for the first time since moving to Atlanta.

It took some work. The family added on to the house, making a room large enough for Bryce and the equipment he’ll need. They had to get a new “roll-in shower.” And they’re hoping for a ceiling lift to help get Bryce in and out of bed.

But it’s the move home that could help the most.

“I know this is where we have to be, where we needed to be,” Robin said. “But I actually think going home for some time will be therapy as well.”