‘I’ll give it my best’: UofL Alum using sports as motivation to recover from gunshot wound
By Addie Meiners
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LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — It’s been a long two months of rehab for 22-year-old Tyler Bright, who was shot in the neck on Jan. 11, but you wouldn’t know that based on his attitude.
“As long as I control what I can control, that’s what’s going to make me happy and how I can control my peace at the end of the day,” said Bright.
Bright was getting gas at the Dura Mart on 7th and Hill streets when he was approached by two men.
“They came up to me and said, ‘We’re running up on you’, but I didn’t really pay attention to it at the time. So, I just got into my car, and that’s when all of a sudden I got stuck with the bullet,” said Bright.
Bright is now paralyzed from the waist down.
“There’s a lot of frustration for sure. But, you know, I try not to dwell on the past too much. You know, you can’t really, can’t really change anything from it.”
Bright has been recovering at Frazier Rehab since the incident. Dr. Camilo Castillo has been overseeing his recovery.
“His actual injury entrance is on the neck. But [the bullet] is lodged in the thoracic area, which is amazing, because you will see he’s considered a tetraplegic, which is a neck injury, but he’s able to move his upper, upper extremity,” said Castillo. “His spirit is still intact, so that makes a huge difference when you want to participate.”
Bright undergoes three hours of therapy per day at Frazier: occupational, physical, and speech. Speech was the most important to Bright, who recently graduated from UofL, with hopes to become the next Jim Nanz.
“My voice is my career. So, it’s very important and imperative that I get my voice back,” he said.
While one of Bright’s favorite pastimes has been telling the stories of great athletes at UofL, he hopes his story of resilience and recovery can be remembered alongside theirs.
“You see it all the time with players. They tear their ACL, and then they have to go through a long process, and it takes time. But eventually, they get back. So I look forward to having something like that. Whatever that [come back] looks like, only time will tell,” said Bright
Bright got to get back to one of the places he loves on Tuesday, as UofL Health provided him and his dad with tickets to the Cards Men’s Basketball game against Syracuse.
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