“Bruce, slow down!”
It’s a cool, fall afternoon and 9-year-old Bruce Mansy is zooming down the ramps at Fresno State’s Bulldog Stadium. His siblings laugh, while parents Lihoy and Sam just smile and shake their heads. “That’s Bruce all the time,” his mom says.
Bruce’s love of football, basketball and dancing is just as strong as it was before that fateful day one year earlier – when a driver blew through a stop sign in south Fresno, ramming into the Mansys’ car. The impact crushed the lower part of his spine, leaving him unable to walk. The team of pediatric specialists and therapists at Valley Children’s Pediatric Rehabilitation Center worked with Bruce and his family to learn to adjust to life after the accident.
“When he had the accident, Bruce was scared and timid,” Lihoy says. “After receiving the care and support at Valley Children’s Hospital, he’s bright. He’s just full of life.”
Bruce attends Lonestar Elementary in Fresno. He enjoys flying model planes and playing basketball, rock climbing and scuba diving through Valley Children’s Adaptive Sports Program.
“Bruce is a happy smiling kid,” Lihoy adds. “I am so grateful for the care Valley Children’s has given not only to him – but to our whole family. And we’re excited to be a part of this year’s Kids Day.”
Valley Children’s has the only pediatric rehab center in California accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an internationally recognized award as a center for excellence in pediatric rehabilitation.