A tragic life-changing experience.
The lights turned off early for Chris Norton when he was playing for Luther College’s (in Decorah, Iowa) football team. After a mistimed play during a football game, he fell straight onto the ground and couldn’t move a muscle.
View this post on Instagram
His body was laid flat on the surface and he felt as though “someone had turned the power off to my body.”
The tragic day was marked on October 16, 2010, and Christ was only 18 years old.
Everyone in the stadium watching was devastated in silence, and Chris prayed.
“I’m trying to push [myself up] off the ground, but nothing’s working. I prayed to God to please let me just get up and walk off the field,” he said.
The incident left Chris paralyzed from the neck down.
Chris was then airlifted to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. There, they discovered the poor young man fractured his C3-C4 vertebrae which means he only had a three percent chance of movement below his neck.
He was expected to live as a paralyzed man for the rest of his life.
View this post on Instagram
“I wasn’t going to accept that,” the hopeful young man said. “I was going to be part of that three percent.”
And he kept his promise. Chris did the impossible when he walked to two of the most unforgettable milestones of his life.
First was when he graduated back in 2015 and when he finally tied the knot with his then-fiancée, Emily Summers, in 2018.
View this post on Instagram
Together, they shared life’s ups and down. Their relationship just became stronger every day that they were together as one.
Love in its strongest form.
View this post on Instagram
According to Chris, they have fostered 17 children, and their life of color gray turned into a rainbow when they legally adopted five beautiful girls.
“They just bring so much energy to our lives — there’s never a dull moment,” Chris said. “We’ve been out in public, and people will just stop us and ask us, ‘Are these your kids? Please tell me these aren’t your kids.”
From a family of two to seven, Chris and Emily adopted Emily, and biological sisters Ava, Liliana, Isabella, and Ariana.
View this post on Instagram
“We were able to grow our family this year, which was really special, and make it just official that they are our daughters forever,” said Emily. “It’s been an absolute joy to be able to be there for these kids, through hard times, through good times.”
“We went into it thinking that we would be the blessing to these kids, but they’re the blessing to us,” Chris added.
But Christ didn’t stop there.
View this post on Instagram
Apart from adopting five lovely children, in 2012, Chris also founded Chris Norton Foundation which aims “to help people with neuromuscular injuries and disabilities overcome their obstacles, and live better lives, like Chris was able to.”
He also became a published author and wrote a book titled ‘The Seven Longest Yards’, a book that tells all the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of their life.
“Everyone saw our highlight-reel moments. We want to show people how we got there,” Chris told PEOPLE.
View this post on Instagram
Chris is truly amazing and he inspires us all to do more than our limits.
Know more about Chris’ inspiring story by watching the video below.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
