Hawaii
Atlanta man left paralyzed after rare surfer’s injury during honeymoon in Hawaii
![Atlanta man left paralyzed after rare surfer’s injury during honeymoon in Hawaii](https://images.foxtv.com/static.fox5atlanta.com/www.fox5atlanta.com/content/uploads/2023/09/1280/720/10-PKG-DILLON-ATL-SURFER-PARALYZED-9_12_23_mp4_00.00.22.08.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Man suffers rare surfer injury while on honeymoon
He was on his honeymoon in Hawaii and decided to go surfing, but ended up paralyzed from the waist down. How this Atlanta man is trying desperately to get home.
ATLANTA – An Atlanta man, who went surfing while on his honeymoon in Hawaii, is paralyzed from the waist down after an extremely rare injury.
Brendan Town and his wife, Cho Pak, were on a two-week trip in Hawaii.
“We had a very small wedding, and we saved all that money to go out, and have a wonderful honeymoon,” said Town.
Brendan and Cho took in the beautiful views, went hiking, and watched sunsets. Two days before they were scheduled to fly home, Brendan decided to try surfing and signed up for a lesson. That wa this past Thursday.
“I caught the first wave, and I was very excited. I think it was the adrenalin rush,” said Brendan.
Brendan says when he popped up onto the board he felt a twinge. At first, he thought he might have pulled a muscle, but kept surfing. Over the next few hours his condition quickly deteriorated. He went to the hospital and was diagnosed with an extremely rare nontraumatic spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed below the waist.
“They told me it was surfer’s myelopathy, essentially it’s hyperextension of the lower back and a spinal cord injury,” said Brendan.
Brendan says doctors told him they’ve seen one case where a person was walking again in three to four weeks, others take months, and in others the paralysis is permanent.
“Life can be tough, and I’m not going to sit here and tell you I didn’t cry about this,” said Brendan.
Brendan is going through physical and occupational therapy all while trying to stay positive for himself and his family. He and Cho are expecting a baby boy in February.
“I have a baby boy on the way, I can’t let this slow me down. I have to fight for him and my wife, and make sure I get back to full health,” said Brendan.
Brendan is hoping to bring awareness to this rare condition, maybe to get surf instructors to take extra precautions with new surfers, or as a warning to anyone who wants to try surfing.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help him get back to Atlanta and continue his rehab as soon as he’s physically able to travel.
![](https://newspub.live/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/np-logo.png)
Hawaii
Golf tourney to benefit Hawaii Island Humane Society – West Hawaii Today
![Golf tourney to benefit Hawaii Island Humane Society – West Hawaii Today](https://www.westhawaiitoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/og_image_logo.png)
The Hawaii Island Humane Society is hosting a charity golf tournament fundraiser on Saturday for its facility and programs.
Hawaii
Group of Hawaii wildland firefighters in Washington state to help battle large wildfire
![Group of Hawaii wildland firefighters in Washington state to help battle large wildfire](https://gray-khnl-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/AJMCO2MUIRGN5K3SG5WFDW55B4.jpg?auth=e9d56c22b6bd48283421b3977f653dbdb8b6a2359b95b0fb6804ba12ee0b6a9b&width=1200&height=600&smart=false&focal=222%2C394)
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – A group of wildland firefighters from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is in Washington State to help battle a large wildfire burning in the remote wilderness.
Nearly 5,000 acres in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest have burned in the Pioneer Fire. At last check, the fire was 7% contained.
With Tuesday marking National Wildland Firefighter Day, the National Park Service is putting out a call to hire more wildland firefighters.
Park officials said it’s a career that will take firefighters to national parks across the country.
Those who are interested can click here for more details.
Copyright 2024 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
Christian clubs win legal victory in Hawaii – The Lion
![Christian clubs win legal victory in Hawaii – The Lion](https://readlion.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/good-news.jpeg)
After-school Christian clubs won a legal victory in Hawaii after alleging suing over discrimination by public school officials.
A Hawaii district court granted Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) of Hawaii a preliminary injunction on Thursday.
CEF filed its initial lawsuit in January, claiming the state education department and local public school leaders were discriminating against CEF’s Good News Clubs.
The clubs are part of an interdenominational program for 5- to 12-year-olds and boast nearly 85,000 clubs worldwide, including 6,200 in the U.S.
According to CEF’s complaint, Good News Clubs were denied access to public school facilities because of their religious nature and, in some instances, made to pay rental fees not required of nonreligious groups.
“Defendants’ policies of unequal access, pretextual denials, and hostility to CEF’s religious message violate the Constitution and have denied some Hawaii elementary school students access to free, positive, and character-building Good News Clubs that enrich countless students’ lives in other Hawaii schools and throughout the country,” the lawsuit read.
The Hawaii court granted an injunction in favor of the Christian clubs, directing the state to provide CEF “equal access” to school facilities that are “made available to other similarly situated nonprofit organizations” such as Boy Scouts or Girls on the Run.
“This is a great victory for Child Evangelism Fellowship, parents, and the students in Hawaii public schools,” said Mat Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel, which is representing the plaintiffs. “The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that public schools cannot discriminate against Christian viewpoints regarding use of school facilities.
“Child Evangelism Fellowship gives children a safe space that offers moral and character development from a Christian viewpoint. Good News Clubs should be in every public elementary school.”
Staver also noted in January that CEF has never lost a lawsuit for equal access.
Even so, the group continues to face discrimination from public schools.
Last year, CEF sued a Rhode Island district for equal access to school property and won. Other clubs – such as the Fellowship for Christian Athletes – have also had to fight for their rights to meet on campus.
-
News1 week ago
A Florida family is suing NASA after a piece of space debris crashed through their home
-
Politics1 week ago
Biden official says past social media posts don’t reflect ‘current views,’ vows to support admin ‘agenda’
-
World1 week ago
Israel accepts bilateral meeting with EU, but with conditions
-
World1 week ago
Netanyahu says war will continue even if ceasefire deal agreed with Hamas
-
News1 week ago
Woman accused of trying to drown Muslim child in Texas in possible hate crime
-
World1 week ago
Over 10,000 Poles participate in Pride parade in Warsaw
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago
Movie Review: “Casablanca” – A Timeless Masterpiece –
-
Politics1 week ago
Supreme Court to review Tennessee ban of puberty blockers, transgender surgery for minors