ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A motorcycle crash on April 18, 2014, left Mingo Graham paralyzed below the waist; he has since turned to building Lego sets for therapy.
Graham was riding his motorcycle at 110 miles per hour when he crashed into a pole, resulting in a broken C6 vertebra. After spending several months in a coma, he awoke at Stanford University Rehabilitation Center.
From Isolation to Creation
After transferring to a rehabilitation home in Anchorage, Graham spent about eight months confined to his room before beginning to build Lego sets. His first creation was a Lego Harley-Davidson motorcycle, mirroring the vehicle he was riding during the accident.
“I built all this stuff with my finger, my thumb and my mouth,” Graham remarked. “Sometimes I will work on a technical part for hours.”
“This is My Purpose”
Graham expressed that building Legos gives him motivation and a renewed sense of purpose in life. He stated, “They give me motivation when I’m unmotivated.”
According to Graham, his positive attitude often surprises those around him. “People are always blown away by my attitude and positivity,” he added.
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