At the age of 29, Yasmin Sheikh became paralyzed overnight for which causes are unknown. She has used her experiences to become a disability consultant, coach, public speaker and mentor.
“I got up three or four times to wee and each time nothing happened, but my legs got weaker and weaker. I was falling down and started to feel unwell. By 7am I couldn’t even get out of bed. I could move my left leg a bit, but I couldn’t move the right at all. I was panicking. I rang my best friend and said, ‘I can’t move my legs’.”
Yasmin was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit a week after the incident with a collapsed lung and pneumonia. After many scans, doctor’s did not have a decisive answer on what happened to Yasmin. Some professionals say that Yasmin could have had a spinal stroke while others suggest transverse myelitis to have occurred. Yasmin sustained an incomplete spinal cord injury and spent three months in the hospital. Yasmin says she used humor as a coping mechanism; however, there were times where she would break down.
Yasmin went back to live with her parents after leaving rehab because her second floor apartment was not accessible. She says that her mom would help her plan goals that would increase her independence. Yasmin moved into her own apartment in January 2011. She met her husband, Luke, at her house warming party. Luke is also a wheelchair user.
Yasmin has turned her situation into a positive one by helping others with disabilities. She has gotten involved with organizations such as Diversity and Inclusion and visABLE. She quit her full time job to focus her efforts on advocating and motivating others.
Yasmin admits that she has accomplished a lot of things because of her injury that she would have thought were once impossible. She says,“I used to think you’d never have a presenter in a wheelchair, but now I think why not? There are lots of things I wouldn’t have done before my injury – I also wouldn’t have met Luke.”
“I’ve always grappled with my identity in a wheelchair, but although I’ve found out things the hard way, I’ve been pushed in a different direction. I like who I am. This is my new normal.”
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