Yasin
“Yasin is truly one of the most optimistic people I have ever met. After becoming a full quadriplegic, no one would have blamed him for sitting back and being angry. But he isn't that kind of person. He is the person who shows up smiling and laughing every day at physio. Fighting. He never fails to put a smile on my face. His work ethic and positivity are contagious.”
On June 14th, Yasin was a 19-year-old student at Algonquin College with his whole life ahead of him. He was in the process of switching from computer programming to business administration finance. He played soccer. He had BIG plans for his future. Until he was shot in the neck as a bystander while breaking up a dispute between friends and attackers in a fight.
A bullet entered Yasin's right shoulder and exited through the left side of his neck. The round didn't strike his spine directly, but the kinetic energy alone was enough to cause a C5/C6 incomplete spinal cord injury. In a single moment, a teenager who had been planning his next semester was fighting for his life.
Yasin was conscious throughout the entire ordeal. In the aftermath, he endured hallucinations from the ketamine and fentanyl administered during treatment. One of the hardest parts wasn't the physical pain, it was the guilt. Yasin struggled with the burden his injury placed on his parents and loved ones, who reassured him that everything was part of God's plan.
His family has been his foundation. Yasin's brother used his entire vacation to stay by his side during recovery. Their cultural emphasis on family and faith has been a constant source of strength throughout the hardest days.
When Yasin's rehabilitation center told him he had "maxed out" his inpatient physiotherapy, he refused to accept that as the end. He continues to practice exercises on his own and is relentlessly chasing every inch of recovery he can find.
His right tricep has fully recovered, enabling independent transfers and assisted standing. He has also regained bladder control, progress that once seemed impossible. Additionally, he is now up and walking with just a walker less than a year removed from his shooting. This is truly one of the most remarkable things anybody in his situation could do after suffering the injuries he did.
Yasin's goals remain clear and unwavering: stand consistently, take steps without a walker one day, and improve his hand function so he can function like a fully able bodied adult in the not so distant future. He is also exploring stem cell treatment in Colombia, following a path similar to Isaiah's. Through it all, his mentality has never wavered. He avoids the victim mindset, stays grounded in prayer, and keeps showing up. Every single day.
Help more survivors like Yasin
Every donation funds real rehabilitation for real survivors.