It was Eden Schroeder’s dream to attend Florida State University. And after graduating from North Gwinnett High School, she loved her first semester, her new friends and sorority life.
Now, the 18-year-old isn’t sure when she’ll be able to return to school. Eden suffered a spinal cord injury when she dove from a boat into the water during a quick trip with friends on Nov. 27. The accident left her paralyzed from the chest down.
On Thursday, Eden left Lee Memorial Hospital in Fort Myers and was flown to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, where she will continue her recovery and rehabilitation.
“I’m excited to get to work,” Eden told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Every little thing I can do by myself is just pushing me forward.”
After undergoing emergency surgery after her injury, Eden has amazed not only her doctors and nurses but also her family with her progress.
“She’s stronger than I am right now,” her mother, Christina Schroeder said.
Only Eden’s mother is allowed in the hospital with her, due to coronavirus-minded restrictions. She misses seeing her younger sister and older brother but stays connected through phone calls and video calls.
“It makes me feel so good that all of my kids and my family are pulling together the way they are,” Christina Schroeder said.
Credit: Family photo
Credit: Family photo
The family says the support from others, including more than $140,000 raised through a Go Fund Me page, has been overwhelming.
“The amount of strangers that have come out and supported me, it’s really restored my faith in humanity,” Eden said. “People that don’t even know me are pushing me through.”
Eden expects to be at the Shepherd Center for at least two months and likely will spend her 19th birthday there in February. Her mom will stay with her at Shepherd. No other visitors will be allowed.
In the coming months, the family will likely have to move from their Suwanee townhouse into a home that is more accessible for Eden, who says she still plans to finish her business degree. Until then, she’s determined to stay positive and learn to adapt to her new life.
“Everything happens for a reason,” she said. “There’s no point in being negative. For some reason, I don’t know what it is yet, this was supposed to happen to me.”
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