November 26th is a date Shawn Florence and his girlfriend Tiffany Laporte will never forget.
They had travelled to Pine Knob near Pontiac to go skiing on the first day of the season.
On his way down the hill, Shawn slammed into a fence suffering critical injuries.
He was rushed to St. John Mercy Hospital and got immediate surgery for the damage.
Tiffany Laporte says the injuries are extensive.
"13 broken ribs, 10 on one side, 3 on the other," says Laporte "He hit the fence so hard both his lungs collapsed. His T7 and T8 were completely fractured and the injuries go down from his T5 to his T10, leaving him paralyzed."
Laporte says they know the cost will be massive, but don't know how much yet.
"We haven't received the bill yet, but he did get emergency spinal cord surgery as soon as he got there from the ambulance," says Laporte "They assessed all his injuries and put him right into surgery. He was in ICU for a couple of days and then they just put him in a normal care room."
Laporte says Shawn remains upbeat, despite the injuries.
"He's very optimistic. I don't think anyone would react as good as he has to this whole situation," says Laporte "He's keeping his spirits high and his mental health is pretty good and he's just hoping he can go to rehab and live a normal life just as anyone else would."
Laporte says Shawn didn't have out of country medical insurance and doubts OHIP will cover any of the cost.
They've created a GoFundMe page for people to help and have set the amount at $150,000, but the bill is expected to be higher.
Shawn is in Windsor Regional's Ouellette Campus at the moment, but will be transferred to a rehab centre in London.