‘A journey of faith, family, and perseverance’

St. Ann’s in Manlius to host its Spring Speaker, Josh Brunner, on March 23

In August 2007, Josh Brunner’s life was turned upside down.

At the age of 19, physically fit and on a Hawaiian vacation with his family, he suddenly found himself in a Honolulu hospital after experiencing leg cramps and muscle weakness while surfing with his brothers. A short time later, he was diagnosed with paraplegia due to a rare spinal infection caused by the Epstein-Barr virus. His lower body is permanently paralyzed.

In addition to being athletic, Brunner was also spiritually fit, having nurtured a relationship with God since childhood. “Faith was pretty much a part of my life from the beginning,” he said, noting both his parents attended Catholic elementary schools, as did he. They attended church weekly, and he was involved in a youth group with friends.

This foundation of faith, rooted in his Catholic upbringing, helped prepare him for that moment and, along with support from his family, helped him move past grief and know how to cope with his condition.

St. Ann’s in Manlius will host Brunner from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 23, so he can share his experiences and discuss the profound impact of faith and family on his life.

“Obviously you’re scared because you don’t know what’s going on,” he said, explaining his outlook during the early days of his paralysis. A car accident can explain a neck injury, or a fall can explain a sprained ankle, but with Brunner’s injury, he explained, some questions went unanswered.

“I didn’t fall while surfing in a way that should have hurt … so you’re like, ‘What? How? How do I go surfing and now I can’t move my legs?’”

Brunner, however, didn’t stay in this mindset for long. “I remember my mom coming over and saying, ‘You know, we’re here for you, whatever you need. You know we’re going to get through this.’ And me saying, ‘I know I’m going to get through this. We’re going to push through it.’”

He describes his trauma response as shifting from 30 seconds of grief to asking, “What’s the next step?

“I always attribute that to two things,” he said. The first is his relationship with God and knowing that he could talk to Him in prayer and rely on His guidance. The second is the unwavering support of his family, who he knew would be there for him no matter what.

Brunner emphasized the importance of building faith early. “There’s plenty of people who find God when they need God,” he said, emphasizing however that there’s a process — it takes time to nurture, grow and understand that bond. “If you nourish that relationship ahead of time, it’s already there. You already know how to call on it when you need it.”

All are welcome to attend Josh Brunner’s presentation, “A Journey of Faith, Family, and Perseverance with Q&A,” from 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 23 at St. Ann’s Church, 104 Academy St., Manlius. No registration is required and admission is free. If you are interested in booking Mr. Brunner, please visit CatholicSpeakers.com to make a request.