DOWNEY - Shannon Lee was well on his way to obtaining his goal as a high school wrestling coach when tragedy struck.Lee, now 21, was attending Fullerton College, working towards his AA degree. His plans were to receive his teaching credential and become a high school wrestling coach. He worked part-time at Warren High School, his alma mater, as an assistant wrestling coach while attending college. The handsome 6-ft. tall young man was not able to reach his goal after a traffic collision resulted in his becoming paralyzed from the waist down. Lee was a passenger in a friend's car, which careened out of control on the freeway, striking a light pole, which in turn crushed the hood of the car, causing permanent spinal cord damage to Lee. Lee's parents are raising money to buy Lee an electrical stimulation bicycle known as an RT300. The bike stimulates the leg muscles to "peddle" the bike through the use of microprocessors and electrodes. The bike can stop, and even reverse, muscle atrophy and the loss of bone density. To date, the family has raised $8,000 towards the purchase of the machine, which is priced at more than $20,000. Lee's medical insurance does not cover the device, family members said. The family will host a spaghetti dinner fundraiser Aug. 20 from 2-7 p.m. inside the hall at First Presbyterian Church of Downey. Cost is $8 per person and the community is invited. For more information, call John Lee at (562) 335-9172.

********** Published: August 04, 2011 - Volume 10 - Issue 16