Christopher Boshar of Chelmsford, bottom, with friends and supporters, from left, Fred Simon, his father Vin Boshar and John Chemaly. SUN/DAVID H.BROW

They say when life hands you lemons, you should make lemonade. Christopher Boshar was handed enough lemons to make a lifetime's supply of lemonade.

And he still doesn't have a sour bone in his body.

Two years ago, Boshar was a healthy 25- year- old kid from Chelmsford with a degree in landscape architecture from UMass Amherst. Then came the day in July 2011 when he was hanging out with his mother's family on the family boat at Lake Winnisquam. The boat was docked at a sandbar, and Boshar went back on board to get a sandwich. One misstep and he toppled over the side. Next thing he knew, he was facedown in the water, unable to move.

He doesn't know how long he was there, but he remembers every second, especially the feeling that he wasn't long for this world. "I kind of made peace with the situation," he says.

But his mother had heard the splash and found Boshar. She and his cousins pulled him out of the water.

That's the lemons part of the story. He's been making lemonade for the last 21 months.

Boshar, who turns 27 in June, is still paralyzed and in a wheelchair. Here's a few of the things he has done anyway - ski, surf, water- ski, sky- dive. Oh, and he's also writing a book about his experiences.

But his financial condition is in tough shape. While his medical bills are covered, pretty much nothing else is.

His father, Vin Boshar of Chelmsford, says, "There are estimates that the cost of care for a quadriplegic is greater than $2.5 million. The van cost $75,000, the wheelchair was $35,000, and the therapy is about $500 a week. What family can support that kind of cost?"

On a more positive note, Chris Boshar was recently adopted by the Owl Diner Charities family, and they're going to do their utmost to help.

For the 22nd straight year, Owl Diner Charities will host its golf tournament, which has raised more than half a million dollars. Organizers hope this year's event, set for May 20 at Trull Brook Golf Club in Tewksbury, eclipses $ 50,000 for Boshar. After his accident, Boshar spent 27 days at Mass. General, then went to Atlanta's famed Shepherd Center for about four months, then to Whittier Rehabilitation Hospital in Haverhill for three weeks.

These days, when he's not jumping from an airplane or riding the waves, Boshar is at Journey Forward, a nonprofit therapy center in Canton that specializes in spinal-cord injuries. Fortunately, Journey Forward's "aggressive" therapy has helped Boshar improve greatly. Unfortunately, it's not covered by insurance.

Boshar still manages to put a positive spin on it, as he does everything.

"I have a really good support system. There are those that aren't as fortunate, for sure. It's a tough predicament, but it could have been a helluva lot worse. The support of my family, friends and community empower my optimism."

Boshar tools around in a wheelchair he calls his "mobile office," which was assembled by students at Dracut High School in conjunction with UMass Lowell's Assistive Technology Department.

"Before, I had to use other people's hands as my own," he says, adding that the "office" gives him something he had yearned for in the aftermath of his accident.

"It's the biggest piece of independence I have. The biggest thing with a spinalcord injury is that you lose your independence. You yearn for independence. That's the name of the game, and anything you get back is a monumental achievement."

He uses a pointer to write with or make phone calls and even send texts, manipulating it with his mouth.

"You don't realize how you think with your fingers when you write. Now that's my fingertips," he says, gesturing to the pointer.

Boshar also spends a lot of time talking about his experiences at schools and whoever else will have him. He has a story to tell, a story that, though tragic, is even more uplifting. And he thanks two people for giving him his positive outlook.

"When you're lying in that hospital bed and you can't feel anything and you're looking at that drop ceiling that's in every hospital room, and you're thinking, 'How can I get myself out of this one?,' the first thing you do is assess the situation. The second thing is, you find someone who has been down that road before."

The first is Louis Zamperini, a World War II POW who is still alive at 96 and the subject of the best-selling book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.

The second is his uncle, Ferris Boshar, who was almost killed while helping to build the Lowell Connector when electricity shot into his left hand and out his right heel, deforming his hand and foot. He built his own prostheses for both extremities and eventually went back to work, but before he did, he built a bookshelf just to make sure he could still do the work.

"You can't use setbacks as a crutch," Chris Boshar says. "My bookshelf is my book. I want to get off as much government assistance as I can so I can get back to work."

Lemonade anyone?

For more on Chris Boshar, go to

Dan Phelps' email address is dphelps@lowellsun. com. Follow him on Facebook or on Twitter @PhelpsSun.