How can a person could become paralyzed from the waist down?

Spinal cord problem: If there is injury to spinal cord in lower trunk or back from any cause, especially trauma, paraplegia can result. There is always a reason for this catastrophe, and your doctors should be readily able to explain how this occurred. Treatments may be challenging.

Varies: Certainly form an abnormality of the nerves supplying the legs, usually at the level of the spinal cord. Can be from trauma, neurological conditions such as gbs, some people are actually born paralyzed in their legs in a condition known as myelomengicele.