Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) is standing and walking on his own while wearing a brace for support less than three weeks after a collision with a stationary bus that left him fighting for his life.
The Colombian posted the video of himself walking on his personal Instagram feed Thursday with the caption that read "Surprise!!! My first steps."
Bernal left the Clínica Universidad de La Sabana in Bogotá on Monday to begin his rehabilitation and recovery from 20 different fractures at home. At that time, he posted a photo of himself standing, for the first time, with medical staff.
Bernal admitted that he had almost died and had a 95 per cent chance of becoming paraplegic. He also spoken of feeling ‘reborn’ and has paid tribute to doctors for giving him a ‘second chance’.
On January 24, Bernal crashed into the back of a stationary bus while training near his home in Colombia with several Ineos Grenadiers teammates. Ineos Grenadiers team confirmed in a medical update at that time that Bernal suffered fractured vertebrae, a fractured right femur, a fractured right patella, chest trauma, a punctured lung and several fractured ribs in the crash.
He underwent treatment and recovery at the Clínica Universidad de La Sabana after a complex but successful spinal surgery, along with surgeries to correct the fractures to his knee, femur, metacarpal in his right hand and to manage dentoalveolar fractures in his mouth, according to a medical update from the hospital.
Bernal made his first public statement in a post on social media last Friday, when he also published a photo from his hospital bed. He said that he had risked losing his life or being left paralysed by the injuries he sustained in the crash.
He was moved from an intensive care unit to a regular hospital ward in the Clínica Universidad de La Sabana last weekend and confirmed in a post on Instagram a list of the 20 fractures he suffered, including 11 ribs and he confirmed he also perforated both lungs.
As he was release from the hospital on Monday to begin his rehabilitation at home, Bernal stated that he felt lucky to have survived the crash, noting that he was about to begin a long recovery process.
A medical update from the Clínica Universidad de La Sabana stated that Bernal's postoperative days were favourable and that being able to walk without help was one of the first goals of his rehabilitation.
