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ROCHELLE, Ill. (WIFR) ¨C A local man beats the odds after a crash nearly leave him paralyzed.

¡°I knew something was very, very bad,¡± says Cole Thomas.

Five months after a life changing crash, Cole Thomas has yet to go back to the place where he nearly lost the ability to walk his daughters down the aisle.

¡°You don¡¯t realize what you have until it¡¯s gone.¡±

While Cole hasn¡¯t been there physically, his mind continuously takes the trip, often.

Thomas was behind wheel of a construction truck on Route 64 when he says a deer dashed in front of him, causing him to overturn and roll several times, the sound of the crash near deafening however the pop in his back amplified by reality.

¡°I was thinking to myself, ¡®Where are my legs, where are my legs?¡¯ and as I¡¯m looking down, I seem them there and yet I can¡¯t move them,¡± recalls Thomas.

Cole was rushed to the emergency room where he met with doctors.

¡°I remember asking if I was going to walk again and he said no, and I remember holding on to my wife¡¯s hand.¡±
It¡¯s a fate Cole wasn¡¯t willing to accept. He went through surgery before turning to the internet, posting a plea on social media viewed more than 12 million times across the world.

¡°Everyone tells me that I am never going to walk again and I want to prove them wrong.¡±

Cole¡¯s outlook was grim until he was transferred to the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago where he met Dr. Ki Kim and found hope.

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¡°When we first met there was really no movement in the legs,¡± says Dr. Kim.

¡°Did you think he was going to be able to walk again?¡± asked 23 News Anchor Whitney Martin.

¡°Yes, I knew there was a possibility,¡± Dr. Kim said.

While doctors focus on the positive, Cole focuses on what feels impossible ¨C learning to walk again.

¡°In my mind, if you tell me I can¡¯t do something, that¡¯s a challenge,¡± says Cole.

Challenging days that led Cole to this moment.

¡°I lifted one leg and then the other and thought this is nuts,¡± says Thomas.

¡°I remember sitting in front of him thinking, oh my God, he¡¯s walking,¡± recalls physical therapist Megan Hufnagel.

¡°That day I knew, I had tears of joy coming down my face,¡± said Cole.

Nearly half a year after the crash, Cole is still surprising doctors, surprising himself. He trains three hours a day and is now working on climbing stairs, each move, symbolizing a step toward a functional life with his daughters.

¡°I would like to say I worked this hard for me but it's not. It's for them to get their fully functional dad back,¡± says Thomas.

As Cole moves forward, he plans on going back to the scene of the accident, knowing the only reason to look back is to see how far he¡¯s come.

Watch the video of Cole's story at  (CBS-Rockford)