Following intensive pediatric rehabilitation at Totally Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Morgan Lopez is returning home and continuing her recovery.
LOMA LINDA, Calif., August 11, 2026 – Twelve-year-old competitive dancer Morgan Lopez is walking again after a headstand injury left her paralyzed from the neck down and facing an uncertain prognosis just months ago.
Morgan had been dancing nearly her entire life, learning to cartwheel at age two and later teaching herself an aerial. While participating in a headstand competition during dance practice, she experienced sudden, severe neck pain. After returning home with her parents, Morgan attempted to get out of the car but was unable to stand and collapsed. Her father called 911. By the time she reached the hospital, she was not breathing and CPR was initiated.
When Morgan awoke, she had lost movement from the neck down and was placed on a ventilator to support her lungs while breathing. Her family was informed by doctors about how much function she would regain.
Determined to give their daughter every opportunity to recover, Morgan’s parents advocated for intensive pediatric rehabilitation and chose Totally Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Loma Linda. Totally Kids provides specialized inpatient rehabilitation for children and young adults, combining intensive physical, occupational and speech therapy with pediatric nursing and physician oversight in a family-centered setting. Patients receive up to three hours of therapy each day, based on their individual needs and goals.
“Morgan’s journey is an incredible example of what can happen when a determined child, a committed family and a specialized pediatric rehabilitation team work together,” said Doug Padgett, CEO of Totally Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. “Pediatric rehabilitation is about giving children every opportunity to regain independence, build confidence and reach milestones that may have once felt out of reach. Morgan and her family never stopped believing in what was possible, and our team was honored to support them along the way. Seeing her walk today and take this next step toward home is a moment our entire team will remember.”
Her progress began with small milestones. One of the first was intentionally squeezing her sisters hand; a birthday gift to her sister, Morgan recalls. She then gradually regained the ability to bring her hand to her face and expressed feeling “amazing” being able to scratch her nose again.
Morgan’s background as a competitive dancer became an important part of her rehabilitation. Her athletic discipline and competitive spirit were evident as she worked toward increasingly challenging goals. Approximately two weeks before leaving Totally Kids on August 11th, Morgan took her first steps.
“People see Morgan walking today, but what they don’t see are all of the small victories that got her here,” said Ed Montano, Physical Therapist Assistant at Totally Kids. “My job is to challenge kids and help them see what they’re capable of without pushing them to the point where they get discouraged. With Morgan, I knew she could do it. The incredible part was seeing the look on her face when she realized she could, too.”
Morgan credits years of dance with preparing her for the physical and mental demands of rehabilitation.
“This is harder than any dance practice,” Morgan said. “I won’t complain about the hard days in dance again. I appreciate it more.”
Throughout Morgan’s recovery, her family and community rallied around her. In the earliest days of her hospitalization, her mother asked visitors not to cry in front of Morgan because she wanted her daughter to remain hopeful and focused on recovery. That support extended far beyond her hospital room. Approximately 200 people gathered for a prayer night organized by Morgan’s cheer and dance communities, while letters and messages of encouragement arrived from across the country.
Asked what she would say to another 12-year-old who had just been told they might never walk again, Morgan doesn’t hesitate. “Don’t listen to them. I’ve watched a lot of documentaries of people learning to walk after being told they might not be able too. Just keep trying, even when it’s hard.”
And if she could go back and talk to herself on the day of the accident? She grins. “Don’t do a headstand.” The room laughs.
She says she’s surprised by her own strength, and she attributes it, again, to dance, to years of being told to get back up and try the movement one more time.
“From the beginning, we just wanted to give Morgan every opportunity we could,” her mother said. “There were so many unknowns, but we fought for rehabilitation because we believed she deserved the chance to see what she could do. Even on the hardest days, I never wanted Morgan to look at our faces and see that we were afraid. We wanted her to see hope. Watching her take those first steps and knowing she is going home walking is something I don’t think I’ll ever be able to put into words.
To parents that may be facing a similar situation, she gives hopeful advice, “You just keep hanging on, because there will be joy again.”
Morgan will continue her rehabilitation as she transitions home, with a focus on building strength, increasing independence and working toward her long-term goals. For the 12-year-old dancer, those goals include adopting a puppy, a king cavelier, spending time with friends and, one day, dancing again.
When asked what she would tell another child facing an uncertain recovery, Morgan’s message is simple:
“Keep trying, even when it’s hard.”
For those that would like to support, her family is sharing her GoFundMe: Fundraiser for Jamie Lopez by Shannon Lopez : Support Morgan’s Healing Journey
About Totally Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
For more than 50 years Totally Kids has been a national leader in providing personalized
rehabilitation and habilitation services for children with a family-centered emphasis. Programs include acute pediatric rehabilitation, subacute care for children with clinically complex conditions, the innovative “Totally Infants Program” for the care of infants who are ready to transition from a NICU but not yet ready to go home and Circlebrook Intermediate Care for medically fragile children.
Media Contact:
Sommer Garcia
Director of Marketing & Business Development
Totally Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
909-796-6915
sommer@totallykids.com