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Ryan Custer to drive again with help of specially made van

238 views · Published 27 December 2018 · 2:33 · Indexed 1 November 2026

Channel: LOCAL 12 · 2018 · News & Politics

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CINCINNATI (WKRC) - It's been almost two years since a west side basketball star seriously injured himself at a pool party.

Ryan Custer is partially paralyzed, but he could soon be getting some independence.

Ryan comes to Good Samaritan Hospital twice a week for rehab. It's hard work, but he's getting stronger every week. Soon, his parents may not have to drive him here because he'll hopefully be able to do it all by himself.

It's a lot easier for Ryan Custer to get around his parents home after the remodel. His bedroom and bathroom are on the first floor. There's a ramp outside too.

"Hopefully, we're getting our front door fixed soon to where I'll be able to get out of it by myself," said Custer.

That's huge, considering what he's gone through. In 2017, Custer hurt himself at a party in Oxford. He jumped into a makeshift pool, severely injuring his spinal cord. Now, he only gets around in his wheelchair.

"I've gotten a little stronger, but I'm just trying to live my life as a 21-year-old kid. It's going well. I mean, everything's going good with school and still getting up there to Wright State as much as I can, taking a few classes," he said.

But there's one class he can't wait to take: a driving class.

"It was cool. She called me and she's like, 'I'm going to start crying here, but it's good news,'" Custer said.

The good news came after so many let downs. For months, the Custers couldn't catch a break: No facility had the right equipment to help Custer learn to drive a car again. Then, his mom wrote a letter to the Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center.

"I couldn't thank her enough, I mean, I didn't know she was doing that, so it was kind of a surprise. She's worked her tail off to do that, and she really did whatever she could to help me," said Custer.

In about two months, Custer will be test driving a brand new, specially made van to help him get back on the road.

"I'm just excited to see what it looks like. I mean, it'll be complicated, take some getting used to, but I think once I get the hang of it, it'll be fine," he said.

If Custer passes the driving test, the family will then modify their own van to mimic the test van.

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