This Man's Tragedy Will Inspire You to Get Out of Debt

When he was in college, David crushed his spinal cord and lost use of his legs.

"I remember being in the ambulance and the paramedics were telling me to move my feet and wiggle my toes. In my head, I thought I was," he says. "But my legs weren’t moving—my toes weren’t moving."

He went from a strong, independent young man to totally dependent on friends and family.

But he didn’t give up on his goal of walking again. After discovering he still had use of his thighs, he and his dad practiced every day until he regained his independence. That was 14 years ago. These days, David has overcome another huge milestone: Getting out of debt.

He can clearly see the parallels between the Baby Steps and those difficult first steps he had to take years ago.

Related: It’s never impossible to get out of debt. Learn how with Dave Ramsey’s money class Financial Peace University.

"If you look at the number [you owe] and get frustrated from the beginning, you’re never going to start," he says. "Start today. Start tomorrow. But get started. Because a year from now, five years from now, 10 years from now, you’ll thank yourself for doing it."