Struck by lightning, Pines native overwhelmed by love and support. What to know

James Fernandez was struck by lightning while mountain biking in Peru in November and suffered a spinal cord injury that left him a C4 quadriplegic.

Nearly five months later, the 42-year-old Pembroke Pines native is back home in Clearwater after a grueling rehabilitation — and was greeted by more than 150 people at his homecoming party.

FULL STORY: ‘Grateful to be alive’: Pines native back at home after lightning strike recovery

Here are key takeaways:

• Fernandez was only 10 minutes into a bike ride on a Peru mountain trail 12,000 feet above sea level on Nov. 26 when lightning struck him, his friend Yuri Botelho and a local guide. Botelho was killed instantly. Fernandez was launched 15 feet into the air.
• Doctors predicted Fernandez would never come off a ventilator or feeding tube. He is now on a regular diet and has begun to see muscle activation in his shoulders, biceps and forearms.
• Fernandez rehabilitated at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, where he learned to operate motorized wheelchairs using mouth controls and head taps. He was discharged in early March.
• A GoFundMe to cover medical bills, a wheelchair-friendly van and home accessibility modifications has raised over $212,000 as of early April.
• Students at Palm Harbor Middle School in Pinellas County — where Fernandez taught science for four years — brought over 200 handmade get-well cards to his homecoming party.
• Fernandez said his two sons, his wife Alexis and gratitude have powered him through recovery. “I’m really grateful to be alive,” he said. “There’s still life to be had.”

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.