One of Doug Campbell’s great joys was watching his teenage son, Cameron, compete and excel in high school athletics.

The owner of the Campbell Ford Lincoln Mercury car dealership in Niles said his son — as just a sophomore — was the starting point guard of the basketball team at Howe Military Academy in Howe, Indiana. He was also named captain of the school’s soccer team.

“He is dedicated and has always been the hardest working kid out on the floor,” Doug said. “Basketball, especially, was a huge part of his life.”

The two had already begun talking about the future, like where Cameron might want to play in college, and, at what level.

Those dreams have been put on hold after Cameron was involved in what his father described as a “freak accident” in February.

Cameron was jumping from benches into piles of snow at the Howe campus when his foot got caught in an opening, causing him to fall forward and break his neck.

Cameron was paralyzed from the shoulders down and doctors told the Campbells their son had little hope of a full recovery.

“When you think about the safety of your child — this isn’t something you ever think would happen,” Doug said. “And when it happens there is no way to prepare for it.”

Cameron is currently undergoing therapy full time at Neuroworx, a facility in Utah specializing in the rehabilitation and care of people with spinal cord injuries.

Doug said his wife, Donna, and Cameron are living there full time, while he stays at home in Niles to work and take care of their 14-year-old daughter, Sophie.

The Campbells believe Cameron has the best chance at recovering at Neuroworx.

“The first 12-18 months after injury is where you get the most bang for your buck for return, which is why we are sort of doubling down on this clinic,” Doug said. “Our focus is on getting as much back as we can in this window period.”

Doug said Cameron is already making more progress than doctors originally anticipated.

He has had limited hand and triceps function, Doug said, and his trunk movement is better than expected.

“We are hoping that collectively all of these small things he is getting back will result into much larger neurological function return,” Doug said.

Cameron is also doing well emotionally. He has been able to maintain contact with his friends back home through social media and Facetime.

“That has buoyed his spirits probably more than any one thing — maintaining connection to people that are important to him,” Doug said, adding that the entire family is grateful for the support they’ve received from family and friends.

“And I am thankful and blessed that so many people in the Niles area have reached out to my family and me and offered encouragement and prayers,” he said. “Speaking for my family, we are truly grateful to belong to such a loving and supportive community. There are no words to express our thanks.”

A friend of the Campbells has set up a fundraiser to help pay for the family’s medical costs. It can be found on the gofundme website at gofundme.com/t6puy68. More than $22,500 has been raised in a little more than a month.