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Positive attitude helps student relearn to walk
July 11, 2022
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Logan Jirout
Grade: 9 School: Kelseyville High School District: Kelseyville USD ACSA region: 4 While the rest of the country was dealing with a global health pandemic, Logan Jirout was facing a health battle of his own. In March 2021, Logan needed back surgery after years of debilitating scoliosis that took a toll on his physical and mental well-being. But the day after his surgery, Logan heard a loud pop while attempting to stand. After two more surgeries, he returned home and started physical therapy. Through it all, he stayed optimistic.

And in June 2021, Logan walked across the stage at his eighth grade promotion ceremony.
What did it mean to you when you found out you won the ACSA Every Student Succeeding award? It certainly caught me off guard when I found out. It was a rush of emotions. It was surprising, and I was so happy. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. So, it just felt great. It felt amazing.
Can you share a little bit about what back surgery was like for you? When I underwent my surgery, everything went great. But the day I was going to start my physical therapy, my spine broke into two different pieces. And I had to go into a second surgery for them to reattach those two pieces. Once I got home, I started my physical therapy. I was in a wheelchair and it was kind of hard because I couldn’t walk. My left leg had been disabled for a long amount of time. But once we started the physical therapy, I relearned how to walk. And now I’m fully functioning on my own.
Mentally, how did you get past all of those hurdles? I just thought of everything in the past that had happened to me — why I was always in pain, why it was so hard to run and walk. I always saw myself as this lazy, disrespectful, ungrateful teenager. But once I finally was able to help myself and my family helped me, I realized that I’m not that. I’m a good kid. I finally started seeing myself in a different manner than I used to.
What type of role did your school community play in you getting to where you are today? They helped me so much, especially one of my teachers, Miss Smith. She actually would come to my house and do my schoolwork with me. And she was the reason I was able to get through eighth grade. My school community, my friends, my teachers — they were such a big support. All my friends would come over and they’d bring me gifts and they’d hang out with me. It was really uplifting, and it really got me motivated to help myself.
For students who are facing similar challenges as you did, what would your advice be for them? Keep pushing. Don’t doubt yourself and above anything else, just stay hopeful. Don’t demean yourself. Keep yourself uplifted and happy.
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2022 Region 4 ESS Logan Jirout.
2022 Region 4 ESS Logan Jirout.
2022 Region 4 ESS Logan Jirout.