The night of the surgery, two steel rods were placed in Gjos' back and bone was taken from his hip to rebuild the fractured vertebrae.

Now, physically, Gjos notes that he has started to feel just a bit of sensation in his thighs, calves and, at times, even his feet. He has also gotten some movement in his hips.

"It's been really gradual since the time of the accident. It's not like I woke up one day and, all of a sudden, my hips move. It starts with a little movement, you exercise, you work it to strengthen it," Gjos said.

"Given the prognosis that I had originally, I think anything at this point is good."

Despite the prognosis, Gjos has been determined to see the bright side of things. During the wait before his surgery he called his parents to tell them of his condition and word quickly spread throughout his small hometown in Manitoulin Island, Canada. Then he went into surgery and afterwards, was given his unhopeful prospects.

But when Vogel saw him right after his meeting with the doctors, the first thing he recalled Gjos saying was, "At least some good has already come out of this. My aunt (in Canada) just called my dad, and they haven't spoken in years."

Likewise, the way the Anderson School has rallied behind him, the way strangers find it easier to open up to him and the way people he hasn't talked to in years contact him to wish him well, are other positives Gjos has found in the situation.

But the best positive, and that which he hopes will be the most helpful and lasting, is the founding of SCORE, or Spinal Cord Opportunities for Rehabilitation Endowment.

About one month after the accident, upon realizing just how great the medical costs would be, Young, Vogel and Eric Eisner, another Anderson School friend, got together to plan SCORE. Calculations totaled about $500,000 - the amount Gjos would need to be ready for life.

To make sure the organization was tax deductible and visible to the community, SCORE was placed under the wing of the California Community Federation and a web site (www.scorefund.org) was set up.

"Sometimes the resources aren't always there, as I'm finding out. You need a little outside help," Gjos said.

But the idea of having an organization solely to support him didn't sit well with Gjos.

"He wasn't comfortable, initially," Young said.

"Sean's wish at the time (when we were creating SCORE)," Vogel said, "was to make a positive out of a negative and to help other people."

So, SCORE broadened its horizons; now it aims to help out any UCLA or Brown alumna or student, as well as any hockey players who are suffering from spinal cord injuries. At this point, however, the majority of the proceeds will help Gjos. Next Page

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