The call no parent wants to receive came without warning.
In 2022, Max Togisala had been in a life-altering skiing accident. Amber and Max Sr. Togisala, Max’s parents, rushed to understand the severity of the situation. His brother Malosi was about to tee off in a golf tournament when his phone rang.
"My dad called and said Max was being lifeflighted," Malosi remembers. "I knew then it was serious."
T12 complete paraplegia. Max would never walk again.
For Max's mother Amber, the news struck at the heart of the life she saw for her son.
"Max had played golf his whole life. Golf is everything," she explains. "In his mind, his whole world's been crushed. And he's thinking he's never going to be able to pick up a golf club. And as a family, it crushed all of us."
But even in those darkest early days, something pretty amazing was happening in Max's hospital room.
"I remember him being in the hospital during rehab," Amber shares, "watching the U.S. Open adaptive golf tournament. He just said, 'I'm playing in that next year and I'm going to win it.'"
Max saw only a new challenge. And the Togisala family chose to rally.
"We came together and supported him," Amber says. "It wasn't just for him. It was for all of us."
Just one week after being released from the hospital, Max was already determined to find his way back to the golf course.
"All he wanted to do was go down to his home course, Riverside," Amber remembers.
He figured out how to use a gate belt to support his torso while his mother placed the ball on the mat. From his wheelchair, Max would swing with one hand, determined to reconnect with the sport he loved.
"To see his excitement, and the fire in his eyes; it was just like he was on a golf course...I mean, I sat and cried the whole time. I was so emotional because it was just so cool to be able to see him. But I knew in reality there was no way that this was going to be his new way of playing golf."
The Togisala family knew they needed a better solution. They searched for something that would give Max stability and independence on the course. This would lead them to the VertaCat.
"We start googling everything, and you come across some of the devices that were available," Max Sr. explains.
They connected with the Stand Up and Play Foundation, where they learned about an adaptive golf device that could help paraplegic golfers. The Togisalas were introduced to someone in Salt Lake City who owned an early version of what would later become the VertaCat.
The moment Max tried it, the family knew they had found something special. "When he got into the VertaCat, it was a game changer," Amber says.
"The VertaCat empowered him with his freedom and his independence to go out by himself," his father explains. "He's one of the faster players because of the VertaCat when he does play. And we're not slow golfers by any means. I mean, we're not gonna wait for you, and now we're trying to keep up with him.”
For the Togisalas, the VertaCat unlocked a new chapter in Max's life, one with many new possibilities.
"As a mom, you want to jump in and do everything you can to help your child," Amber explains, recalling the early days after the accident. "I wanted to help him and he just wouldn't let me. He was like, 'No, I got to do it, Mom. I got to do it myself. I got to figure this out.'"
But the pride she feels now is everything.
"My word...I always say that Max teaches me more than I could ever teach him,” she adds. “I'm amazed by his strength and his determination and just the way that he has been able to look at life in a completely different perspective."
The lessons Max has taught his family resonate deeply.
"It's helped me to understand and realize that this life was meant to have joy, and that, no matter what circumstances we're given, there's always something good to be seen," Amber shares. "And he's taught me that our bodies are incredible and we can adapt and do hard things."
For Max's brother Malosi, watching Max's transformation has changed his entire look on life's challenges.
"Max took the impossible and he turned it into something good," Malosi says. "I never thought I was going to play golf with my little brother again. I never thought I'd be able to play catch with my little brother again. And here we are. We're making it work."
Max Sr. also feels awestruck by his son’s determination.
"He's having fun and he's showing it to other people," he reflects. "And he's also showing his love for the game, but also the people he comes in contact with. He inspires a lot of people. He inspires us to do better. And we're just lucky to be a part of that."
The Togisala family now look toward a future filled with new possibilities.
Now 21 years old and recently married, Max is approaching another significant life transition. "He's moving to Colorado this month," Malosi explains.
And while this brings its own emotional challenges, the family sees it as the natural progression of Max's independence.
"As hard as it is that he's moving away—I shed a tear about it almost every day—I know it's not forever," Amber shares. "I think it's also good for both him and his wife to be able to just grow together as a couple and to just kind of figure out life."
The Togisalas appreciate that the VertaCat is supported by a community of people committed to helping Max and others like him succeed.
"One thing about the VertaCat, it's not just a machine, it's also the people that are behind it," Max Sr. explains. "That's been a great support to him, that he could just reach out to them personally."
The impact of Max's story continues to spread beyond their family.
"I still constantly get messages every week of somebody that he has inspired," Amber shares. "I know that this trial was given to Max, not just for Max, but for thousands of people to be able to see that he has been able to overcome something so hard and turn it into something so beautiful."
Max's story is about reclaiming independence, discovering new strengths, and inspiring others to see possibilities where some might only see limitations.
"Max has inspired a lot of people that you can do hard things and still enjoy life, but you just do it differently," his father reminds us.