The craziest thing is that there was no actual accident. A simple waist-level dive into the water—no collision with any object, no previous injuries—changed Young’s life forever. He was lucky enough to survive and recover from the near-fatal injury, eventually returning to his normal life. But the love and support he received and the way he used photography as therapy to get through the hardest times will stay with him forever.

The story is beyond incredible. Young spent 11 days in ICU, the first six of which the doctors didn’t even know if he would live. But, he stayed strong, and soon his movement began to come back. First, he had a little movement in his right arm, then his leg, and eventually his toes.

He was then transferred to a rehab home where he had to basically relearn every simple everyday function, like swallowing on his own and tying his shoelaces. He had to relearn how to walk. For about a month and a half, he had physical and occupational therapy every day and this, coupled with the mental focus of getting better, left him exhausted all the time. But he met his goal—he walked out of rehab.