HOUSTON — If you don't know retired Houston Police Department officer Ronny Cortez, then you should.
He was shot in February 2017 after confronting a burglary suspect. He was paralyzed from the chest down, spending seven months at TIRR Memorial Hermann.
Ronny is now a paraplegic due to the shooting, but he has proven miracles happen with hard work and dedication.
With no balance, Ronny has managed to learn how to hold himself up so he can sit tall next to his wife, Sheri
"He always finds a way. He’s a MacGyver," Sheri said.
And just recently, Ronny crossed another milestone.
He's using his hands to cut his own food again.
"It was a stuffed jalapeno," said Ronny.
The moment made Sheri so proud that she snapped a photo and posted it on her social media.
"It was a miracle. It was for us because he wasn’t leaning on anything," Sheri said.
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Ronny only feels pins and needles in his hands due to the stroke he had following the 2017 shooting.
"Such a big milestone step in the right direction for him," his wife boasted.
The retired cop does physical therapy consistently to stay the course of his recovery.
"I’m staying active, that way whenever God decides that I should walk again, that my body is going to be ready," Ronny said. "I believe one day I will."
Sheri believes so too.
"I pray on him a lot. The ironic thing I don’t pray that he walks again. I pray that he’s happy. I pray that he doesn’t get upset with himself that he can’t be as strong as he once was," Shery said.
It's why she shared their latest miracle on social media and why she takes people inside Ronny's physical therapy sessions.
"I want people to just be empowered in themselves to know that they have the power to change things in their lives," she said. "It may not be perfect, but it’s going to be okay."
The message from Ronny and Sheri — moments, milestones and miracles aren't one and done.
"No. No. And I think that the expectation is we don’t wait for a miracle to happen. We just go on with our lives. And as they present themselves, we’re so grateful," Sheri said.
Ronny's next goal is to drive a van customized to his needs.
Follow Sheri Cortez on Twitter for updates on Ronny's recovery.