Diving Accident Leads to Paralysis for 21-Year-Old

“Almost immediately, when I was flipped over I told my dad ‘I’ve broken my neck’. I couldn’t feel anything and I couldn’t move.” Sebastian Pena, known to his friends as Seb, experienced a life-altering event last December while on holiday visiting family in Venezuela. During a session where he was instructing his younger cousins on diving into the sea, Seb struck his head on the seabed. This incident resulted in permanent spinal cord damage, rendering him tetraplegic, a condition that entails paralysis from the neck down. The 21-year-old, who hails from Oxford, was repatriated to the UK. He has since spent the last 11 months hospitalized, recuperating from his injuries. His family is currently endeavoring to secure the necessary funds to facilitate his return home. Reflecting on his life before the accident, Seb states: “The main part of my life was going to medical school. I loved playing sports like volleyball and rugby and on top of that I did enjoy music and also tutoring.” The medical student had journeyed to South America accompanied by his family. He recounts: “One day, I was in the sea with my family and one of my younger cousins wanted me to show them how to dive.” He continues: “As an example, I went first and in the process there was a shallow bit of sea and I hit that.” He adds: “That caused me to knock my head – I thought it was just an initial knock but it knocked my front teeth out and I sort of froze.” Seb further explains: “After that I couldn’t really move – I tried to turn over in the sea but I couldn’t really move so I was face down, and I was lucky that my dad was nearby and he was able to flip me over and helped to carry me.” The athletic young man sustained permanent and irreversible injuries in an instant. Seb states: “With a bit of knowledge from medical school I asked my dad to just do a quick touch test over my body to see where the level was and to see that he had a hold still – and I just knew immediately from there.” He reflects: “At uni it’s one of those things you learn about but never really think it would happen to you until it does.” Following his immediate transfer to a local hospital, Seb was airlifted back to the UK for critical treatment at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Subsequently, he was transferred to Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury. As a consequence of the accident, Seb is currently unable to walk, lacks movement in his arms and legs, and depends on a ventilator for respiration. The medical outlook indicates that significant further improvement is considered highly improbable. Seb comments: “Right now I’m okay, I’m still in the hospital waiting to go home.” He adds: “It would be a lot nicer to be at home in a much more comfortable environment surrounded by family.” Jelenyela, Seb’s mother, has initiated a fundraising campaign to finance necessary modifications to the family residence, ensuring it is safe for her son’s return. Jelenyela states: “Home would be the best place for him to be – with us.” She explains: “The risk we have right now is the house is not ready for Sebastian to move into.” She adds: “Otherwise he will be sent to a care home – and I don’t think anyone would like that for a 21-year-old young man.” The family aims to collect £250,000 to cover the costs of these alterations and the acquisition of a specialist wheelchair. To date, they have accumulated nearly £70,000 towards their goal of bringing Seb home. Readers can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.