My friend’s name is Santiago and he liked to ride the bike a lot.  Riding bikes for him was his hobby and he used to ride to Chipinque and go up the mountain and then down.  Santiago and me liked to do all kinds of crazy things together, like jumping from one place to another on bikes or jumping from the highest ramp there is when we were skiing. We went wakeboarding when it was raining a lot.  And all this kind of things. We used to do all these  activities that were really crazy.  We liked to do things that if they went bad we would be really hurt or even dead.  There were times where we fell or failed while we did the stunt, but nothing serious.  One time we had gone to a ranch and we were jumping on a buggy and going really fast.  We also were using motorcycles and we were jumping while we were racing.  There were even times when our parents grounded us because we did dangerous things that could have had a consequence.  The point is that we were really crazy when we were together. Our parents always got  worried when they knew that we were together.

It was a Thursday, and that Friday we were leaving for a ski trip in Vail with a group of families that included Santiago’s.  It was spring break and we had two weeks off of school.  I was really relieved that we were out of school for a while.  I was packing in my house and suddenly the phone rangs, it was Santiago and he said, “Daniel do you want to go ride the bike with me? I found a new ramp and I want to try it out”.

I thought about it and I remembered that my mom did not let me go out because it was a Thursday and the next day we were leaving. “I can’t, I got to stay home packing and stuff,” I replied. 

“ I already packed, so thats why I’m going, but it’s alright, see you tomorrow at the airport,” said Santiago.
“You got it,” I answered back to him.  We both hung up and he went to ride the bike with another friend and I stayed home packing and kind of frustrated because I wanted to go ride the bike.  I even called my mom to see if she would let me go ride the bike with him, but she responded that I had to stay at home to make sure that I don’t forget anything, so I did not even argue because even if I did, I would not be able to go.  If she had said no, it’s a no.

I finished packing and I fell asleep on the couch. 3 to 4 hours passed and then I woke up, I got my phone and sent a message to Santiago, telling him to send me videos of him jumping in the big ramp.  He did not answer, so I let my phone on the side and I was still sleepy so I laid down and as soon as I knew it, I fell asleep again.  Suddenly the phone rang. “Ring! Ring! Ring!” I fell from the bed because I got scared, I stood up and ran to the phone real quick.  I answered, “Hello, who is this?”

“It’s mom” she replied. I said hello and she said it as well back to me.

“A tragedy happened,” she said.

“Whaaa, what happened”? I replied with a panicked voice.

“Santiago was jumping in a ramp at a park, he landed it 4 or 5 times.  The next time he tried it he jumped really high and lost control in the air and then he felt down.  He landed with his neck and then rolled, he stayed on the ground and the guy who was with him to ask if he was okay, he answered that he did not feel his legs or his arms. They called the ambulance and they came for him. Right know, he is at the hospital. We still don’t know what actually happened to him, we are waiting for more information, I am going to the hospital, what to come with me?”My mom said.

“What?!? Is this for real? Yes please, I am ready to go see him.”  When we got to the hospital, we were waiting outside.  All of Santiago's family and all of our friends were in the waiting room, everyone was really worried about him and they were all curious of what had actually happened to Santiago.

Suddenly, about 2 hours later, a doctor comes out and says, “he had broke a part of his neck and It’s going to be really hard for him to move again”.  Nobody replied.  The doctor let his family members pass and go see him at the room that he was.  Everyone was really sad for him because they thought that he wasn’t actually going to move again.  He had to work hard, he did not gave up.  After a while, he went to a lot of therapy and he worked really hard to be as he was before.  Today January 19, 2015, he is walking and he is good.  He still does not move 100% as he did before the accident, but he is in process and he is almost there.  He tried riding the bike again.  He had not ridden it since his accident. He was successful and he could ride the bike well. Each day he moves a step further ahead than the day before.  At the hospital, the doctors told him that it would be extremely hard for him to move everything again.  Well, he proved it that he could, He made all of this possible. 

This story is worth telling  because it’s an event that change my friends life and mine as well.  Many of mine friends and many of Santiago's friends knew about this and learn about this.  Santiago wasn’t the only one who learned about his mistakes, we did as well.  I learned that everyone has to be careful with what they do, things happened from one day to another, that easy.  For me personal I learn that I have to be more thoughtful before doing stuff that are not safe.  Even if the stunt looks cool or even If I know that I can do it, I shouldn’t do it because Santiago also thought that he could do that jump, and he couldn't.  Even if you are a pro there will be times when you will fail and you will fall and a tragedy will happen.  There has happened many stories about people whose life change because of an accident. There has been story’s about professionals who are done with everything because of an accident.  My point is that everyone thinks that they are the best at something and that nothing is never going to happen and that everything is going to be okey. But what they don’t know it that there life can change because of a stupid decision.