Paralyzed detective to participate in Tunnel to Towers 5K
NEW YORK - NYPD Detective Scot Abrams is a proud husband and dedicated father. The humble hero is also a survivor.
"'I can't,' or 'I don't want to' is not in my vocabulary," Abrams said.
After graduating from high school, Abrams joined the Marine Corps for five years. In 1998, he took the police officer's oath of office and quickly worked his way up the ranks from the 113th Precinct in Queens to Highway Patrol Unit 2 in Brooklyn.
Then came the day when time stood still, his wife said.
"The day of that accident, I got that phone call at work," Tara Abrams said. "And it just changed."
In 2007, Abrams was on his motorcycle working a funeral procession when he was suddenly cut off. He lost control, rode head-on into a bus, and was thrown off the bike.
"Next thing I remember, waking up on life support at NYU with no explanation," Abrams said. "Who, what, where, how, or why I'm here?"
"They gave him his last rights, and it was tough," Tara said.
The Long Island native suffered a spinal cord injury and a compound fracture to the left leg he was paralyzed on the entire left side of his body.
After three and a half months in the hospital, Abrams was determined to return to the life as he once knew it. He learned how to speak, eat, and even walk again by using a cane and a leg brace.
Soon Abrams will be celebrating yet another milestone. Tara and their 16-year-old son Josh will be pushing Scot in his wheelchair in this year's Tunnel to Towers 5K Run and Walk from start to finish in New York City.
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is also upgrading his home and paying off his mortgage.
"I knew about Tunnel to Towers, I knew about the races and stuff," Josh said. "But I didn't know everything behind it. I didn't know they were going to do this for our house."
Today, Abrams spends much of his time at home in Massapequa with his family or at physical therapy. However, he hasn't stopped serving the people of New York City.
"I do public speaking for the police department, for the different commands, all over to give back what the job has given to me and my family," he said.
He is giving back to those who helped him when he needed it most.