Skating to Victory Over Stroke
Brian Propp has been skating since he was a little boy growing up in Saskatchewan, Canada, and skated in many of the world’s biggest arenas over his 15 years in the NHL, but it was his skating on the 3rd floor…
Laughter is the Best Medicine
“I like to tell people I started doing stand-up comedy when I finally couldn’t,” jokes Wes Johnson. As a member of the Army National Guard, Wes’s plans to deploy to Afghanistan were altered when he suffered a C5-6 spinal cord…
Finding Your Own Way of Coping
Different people have their own unique way of coping with difficult times, and for James McQuillan, his method is by focusing and talking about something else. When he was 20 years old, James suffered a spinal cord injury while playing…
Coping After An Amputation With The Help Of A Mentor
Matt Johnson was a fairly active 24-year-old living in the University City section of Philadelphia at the time of his injury on March 28, 2015. He would bike or run about once a week, but he rode his motorcycle almost…
Persevering Towards The Future You Want
At birth, Ali was without oxygen for 2 minutes, and nurses were afraid he would not survive. But he did survive, and throughout his life, he has found ways to keep surviving – keep thriving. Ali was born in…
Adapting To Aphasia
Avi Golden was an active EMT and paramedic when his life took an unexpected turn. In early June 2007, at 33 years of age, Avi was admitted to Columbia Hospital, in New York, for surgery on an mitral valve prolapse (MVP) repair that…
Woman Turns Medical Images Into Art
Most people living with a disability are oftentimes overly familiar with medical imaging – those black and white, stark representations of the interior human body. A clinical snapshot of a diagnosis. A woman named Elizabeth is setting out to change…
Finding your “New Normal” After Spinal Cord Injury
“At the end of the day, you are different, but it’s OK,” says Erika Bogan. “Embrace it!” echoes Shannon Chisholm. Both women have been active advocates for people with disabilities since their injuries. Erika was injured in a car accident…
Surviving Attempted Murder And Coming Out Stronger
Margarita Elizondo is a survivor of attempted murder. She was shot in the neck, and that damaged her ability to speak. She had to mouth to her daughter to call the necessary emergency hotlines during the attack. She also lost…
Friendship Is The Best Medicine
“Each person you meet has so much to give, even you.” This is a lesson that Kellen Prouse learnt when he started reaching out to people through his blog, and to the multiple sclerosis (MS) community. Kellen was diagnosed with…