When Sean O’Donnell flew over the Moss Rehab campus in Elkins Park July 1, four or five dozen healthcare workers cheered, writes Gary Miles for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

It was a day of celebration for everyone. O’Donnell was honoring the therapists, doctors and nurses at Moss for working during the pandemic.  But he, too, was being honored.

The 42-year-old Newtown Square resident was paralyzed in 1995 in an accident.   But that didn’t stop him from earning his pilot license, pursuing his love of flight.

“No picture can capture the beauty of flying,” O’Donnell said. “It’s almost indescribable. It’s a gift, and you have to share it. The people who helped me, and those at Moss, help patients think outside the box and chase their dreams no matter which different roads they take. They help us see what is possible.”

O’Donnell credits his father with giving him the drive to overcome his disability. After the accident, doctors predicted months to return to school and graduate with his high school class.

“My father said, ‘I want you back in 30 days,‘” O’Donnell said.

He was back in 32, graduating high school and then Villanova with a degree in computer engineering.

Read more about Sean O’Donnell here.

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