Paralympian Encourages Edison Teen Amputee To Stay Athletic

EDISON, NJ — After he was shocked by a high tension wire, fell 30 feet to the ground and eventually had his left foot amputated, friends of Lance Vargas' knew one thing: He was going to persevere, and get back to being an athlete.

Thankfully, there are others who know what Vargas is going through: on Thursday, the teen met with paralympic snowboarder and fellow amputee Dan Monzo.

The two met at Children's Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick, where Vargas is currently a patient. Monzo shared his story with Vargas, and encouraged him not to give up on his athletic pursuits.

When he was 15, Monzo lost his leg in a dirt bike crash and, like Vargas, he was treated at a Children’s Specialized Hospital. Shortly after learning to walk with a prosthetic leg, Monzo began learning how to snowboard. He was a member of the first ever Paralympic snowboarding team at the 2015 games in Sochi, Russia.

Vargas earned a varsity letter with the J.P. Stevens High School wrestling team, and was well-known for his athleticism. His family and friends have supported his goals, with the community chipping in to fund athletic prosthetics for the teen.

"Lance is an athlete and his dream is to one day continue surfing, swimming, running, & climbing again. This can and will become possible with our support," Doreen Marascio-Bussey wrote in a GoFundMe campaign for the 18-year-old.

• Read More: Beloved N.J. High School Student Shocked By Wires, Falls 30 Feet In Metuchen
• Read More: Edison Teen Who Lost Foot In Accident A 'Remarkable Warrior'

Vargas's recovery since the October accident has been going well, Marascio-Bussey said. He suffered burns over 70 percent of his body and had his left foot amputated, but is now doing well and looking to get back to normal soon.

"All of Lances wounds are healing well and he may get the okay to begin weight bearing on his residual limb as early as tomorrow. That means he can start leaning on it and begin forming the limb for a prosthetic," Marascio-Bussey said.

In addition to focusing on his recovery, Vargas, a senior, is working hard to catch up on course work, and has begun applying for colleges, she said. As of now he remains at Children's Specialized, but will hopefully start out-patient rehab in the coming weeks.

Friends, family, and community members have been contributing to a GoFundMe set up in Vargas' name to help buy him athletic prosthetics. The fundraiser is $14,830 towards a $25,000 goal.

• Read More: JP Stevens Students Wear Blue In Support Of Injured Classmate

Image via Children's Specialized Hospital

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