Advocacy runs deep within Drew Cumpson. In 2011, Drew was involved in a body surfing accident while on break during a humanitarian trip, Project Serve International, in Peru. The accident resulted in a spinal cord injury at the C4 vertebrae,…
‘Destiny’ is how Gilbert Tan, 56, describes his relationship with Irene, his wife of 14 years. “I’m not allowed to tell Irene’s age,” he laughed. After a swimming accident in 1983 left him a quadriplegic, he had been in and…
Lorraine, a wheelchair user who lives in the UK, and uses the rail system regularly, delved into the findings of a recent study on the UK’s Passenger Assist Service, conducted by the Research Institute for Consumer Affairs (Rica). Rica’s review assessed…
Laurence and Adele Clark say they fell in love nine years ago while on their first date. Besides the fact that they were both born with cerebral palsy, they bonded over their shared desire of one day becoming parents. The…
Harriet, whose husband became a paraplegic in 2013, writes about a topic that many caregivers often experience: the lack of sleep - or more specifically - interrupted sleep. After her husband came home from the hospital, Harriet found herself up in…
Claire was seventeen and in her last year of school when she broke her neck and became a tetraplegic. While she and her mom were driving home, their car rolled down a hill. Claire was laying in the backseat of…
If he had not had his swimming accident in 1983, Gilbert Tan, 56, says he would probably still be “slogging away at an architectural drawing board in an office somewhere in Singapore.” Trained as a draftsman who designed elevators, glass…
Robyn Powell was born with arthrogryposis, a disability that affects her muscles and joints. With limited use of her limbs, she has been a power chair user since she was three-years-old. However, Robyn didn’t identify as “disabled” until her twenties.…
While on a family getaway to Mercer Lake in Florence, Oregon, Tracy Boyd took advantage of the enjoyable quiet and slow pace to reflect on the good things in life: family, friendship, fun, and fellowship. For mom-of-four Tracy, this quiet…
So much changes when someone experiences a spinal cord injury. And among those changes is a shift in family relationships. Parents, spouses, and even siblings often find themselves thrust into unexpected roles. "I think role shifts are the biggest change…