Three months after a saddle bronc accident left 17-year-old Turner Morris with a spinal cord injury, his family finally has the kind of update they had been hoping and praying for.

Turner is regaining more movement and sensation — with sensation now extending all the way to his toes.

Turner, from Shelby, North Carolina, was injured while competing at a rodeo in Conyers, Georgia, earlier this year.

According to his family, he fractured his C6 vertebra and suffered a spinal cord injury. He was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he underwent surgery and spent 10 days in the ICU before beginning rehabilitation at Shepherd Center in Atlanta.

Initially, Turner was classified as having a C5 complete spinal cord injury. His mother, Amanda, says his classification has since changed to C6-7 B incomplete, with movement extending into T1 and sensation reaching his toes.

“This is a major change!” Amanda shared.

And Turner is working incredibly hard for every bit of progress.

After 10 weeks as an inpatient, he has moved into Shepherd’s outpatient program, where he reportedly spends five to six hours each day in intensive therapy.

But perhaps the most inspiring part of Turner’s story isn’t physical.

During his hospitalization, Turner earned the nickname “4th floor mayor.”

His mother says he welcomed new patients and their families, visited other young patients, and even helped organize get-togethers.

While facing a life-changing injury of his own, Turner still found ways to make other people feel less alone.

Now, he has another goal:

He wants to walk again.

His family understands that recovery from a spinal cord injury is unpredictable and that reaching his goals will require extensive rehabilitation. Turner hopes to return home in October and continue specialized therapy in South Carolina, Charlotte, and Atlanta.

And despite everything, he is still focused on his future.

Turner is a high school senior taking dual-enrollment college classes. He hopes to earn his associate degree, study business and marketing, and one day open a fly-fishing guide shop and own bucking bulls.

The cowboy still has plans.

His family has also created a fund to help cover specialized therapy and rehabilitation expenses that may not be covered by insurance.

For everyone who prayed for Turner when his story was first shared, his family hopes you’ll see this update as a reminder of just how far he has come.

Keep fighting, Turner. Your journey isn’t over.

Source: Information provided by Turner Morris’s family; Shepherd Center.

Recovery from spinal cord injuries varies from person to person, and future outcomes cannot be guaranteed.