The shatter of glass. The sound of tires screeching on pavement. The noise of car horns honking and sirens wailing. The crushing of a spine. A life changes because of the absence of a seatbelt.

Reflect on the worry-free environment and mindset you had when you were in middle school. No pain, no worries. Now, imagine that being snatched from you in an instant. The lifelong impact of one car accident took away junior Briley Court’s absence of pain and worry forever.

“We were riding home from dinner, and I was feeling a little under the weather, so I was laying down in the backseat,” Court said. “We were t-boned while crossing an intersection. The front of their car hit where my head was and crushed my body. I wasn’t wearing my seatbelt.”

When his body went through the impact of being hit, his spine was crushed and compacted.

“I was three months bedridden and three months in rehab,” Court said. “I couldn’t walk faster than a shuffle due to the possibility of breaking my nerves. It was a rough time.”

Although he went through so much during the recovery and still suffers from constant pain, Court was lucky. He could have had it much worse.

“The doctor said I was really close to breaking my spinal cord,” Court said. “It’s a shocker that I’m not paralyzed.”

Court is careful when it comes to putting physical strain on his body due to the fear that the accident had installed in him.

“It’s still a fear of mine,” Court said. “If I do too much work or put out too much effort, just the smallest crack and I could totally be bedridden for the rest of my life.”

His outlook on the time he spent in the hospital is unique, especially for that of someone with an injury like his.

“Being in the hospital is just as great as being home,” Court said. “The people there are working to make you feel better. You don’t ever think about that. When you have to go to the hospital you think that’s a lot of money to get better, but they take your mind away from the pain and what’s going on and they make you important; not your injuries. They do a really good job of helping you forget about the pain at that time.”

Pain is something that Briley has learned to expect. He relives the aches and discomfort each and every day.

“I have back pain all the time; doing any kind of activity hurts it,” Court said. “Theme parks are dangerous. While driving, I have to be super careful. I can’t play certain sports. The simplest things hurt my back.”

When asked if he would change anything about that fateful day, Court of course said yes.

“I’d much rather spend my entire life knowing I was safe and get up without my back hurting in the morning,” Court said. “Just bending over and opening drawers hurts. I have to work into the day because every morning [the pain] restarts because I’m still the entire night. When I wake up, it’s like thawing something because my back stiffens at night.”

The whole experience has left Court with a new outlook on life. He is well aware of the time limit of living, and aims to spend his life full of purpose and fulfillment.

“You don’t have all of the time in the world,” Court said. “You are limited to how much you can do and how much time you have to do it. There’s nothing stopping you except for time, so use it as much as you can.”

Briley Court is a living miracle. His recovery and his presence are an inspiration, and his outlook is one of inspiration and charisma. We aren’t guaranteed anything in this life; we are given one shot and that outcome is up to us.

“Even though your job is to wear out your body, dont ruin your life trying to get to a goal,” Court said. “Know your limits. Know when to push them.”