Buzz Montsinger (left) and Howard Awad helped recreate the sound of The Jokers Wild

Yesterday at Plant Zero there was a party to celebrate Buzz Montsinger’s recovery. He stood on his feet with saxophone in hand and was joined on stage with a few of his friends from The Jokers Wild, a band in which they played in the 1960s.

April 30, 2006, was just another day for Lawson “Buzz” Montsinger — until he tripped on a rug, lost his balance and landed awkwardly on his chin. The fall left him paralyzed from his neck down.

He had no medical insurance.

After the accident, he was just “a talking head” with no body movement, daughter Shannon Montsinger said at a gathering yesterday in Richmond, where family and friends made donations to help cover his medical expenses. More than a year of treatment and therapy has yielded progress.

Montsinger, 59, can walk on his own again, though it is a struggle. Standing and sitting are visible challenges. He credits his progress so far to determination, lots of praying, and loved ones who drove him to his feet and gave him a new perspective on life.

Click here to read the rest of the article written by Brandon Shulleeta for the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

For more photos go to SLANTblog.