South Jersey man paralyzed from chest down following brutal brewery attack

COLLINGSWOOD, N.J. (WPVI) -- After more than a month in the hospital, a South Jersey man is back home recovering following a brutal attack at a bar in Collingswood in February.

Dan Walker, 30, was stabbed at the Raccoon Taproom in Collingswood on February 24.

Police say 27-year-old Tahaa Elmogahzy stabbed Walker during an unprovoked attack. Elmogahzy was later arrested and is now facing several charges, including first-degree attempted murder.

READ MORE: Man in critical condition after being stabbed at Collingswood brewery

"The feeling is, even feeling it again now, it feels shocking that we're in this situation," Marcus Lotierzo, one of Walker's best friends, told Action News.

Lotierzo and Walker met as freshmen at the College of New Jersey.

After the attack, Lotierzo said Walker received treatment at Cooper Hospital and Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Center City.

"We were so relieved to hear that Dan was not only a successful surgery, but that Cooper Medicine did such a fantastic job," he said. "They still credit to this day how fantastic their spinal surgeon was."

Even after receiving fantastic care, Lotierzo said his best friend, who was training for a Strongman Competition, is paralyzed from the chest down.

"He does not have movement in his legs, anything below the chest. I will say that through the rehab he has been undergoing, he has regained some feelings," Lotierzo explained.

"As of right now, the prognosis is that he has no capability to walk, and we don't know if he will regain function. But, it's something he's going to try to do every day," he added.

Because of the long road ahead of him, Lotierzo helped launch a fundraiser to cover Walker's medical expenses as he continues to rehab and recover.

Lotierzo said Walker's story doesn't end here, explaining his friend's next chapter will be filled with resilience, hope and the support that is already being shown through every donation and kind message.

"Dan is very much loved. He's been feeling that since this occurred, and I think it's going to be compounding every single time he looks at that number go up," Lotierzo said.