Quadriplegic Keeps Going
As both a fierce competitor and a loyal fan, there is no doubt that sports play a big part in Cole Sydnor’s life. Cole was an avid lacrosse and basketball player who enjoyed a variety of outdoor activities as well.…
Progress Happens One Step at a Time: Special Olympian with a SCI Beats Odds
Jeffrey McConnell 39, was born with Down Syndrome. His mom Marlene has been his advocate and coach since day one. After Jeffrey was born, it seemed like everyone was telling Marlene about all the things they thought he would never…
Roll a Mile On My Wheels
Introduction Every day people have to make millions of decisions like, what do I eat for breakfast? What do I wear to school? What project to work on next? For individuals with disabilities they could ask a lot of the same…
The Power of Mentoring
Julie Hill is a volunteer, skills trainer, and mentor to fellow people who have sustained spinal cord injuries. In 1990, Julie herself was paralyzed from the waist down from a car crash. She says that having a strong support system of…
Experiencing Deep Loss and Transformation
Glenn Hartz knows what it means to experience deep loss. After a period of general decline in health, in 2006 he lost much of his strength and right-side mobility to transverse myelitis. As he worked through the dynamic changes in his life,…
Taking A Stand: Advocating for Medical Equipment
Having the ability to stand and look someone in the eye is an action that Michael Powell will never take for granted. Michael, born with cerebral palsy, has raised money for his very own standing wheelchair. He proclaims that the…
Vent-Dependent Quad Lives Life to Its Fullest
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,…
Tetraplegic Settles Into Her New Life
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…
What’s in a Name? Owning Disability
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.…
Lakeside Retreat Allows a Blind Mom to Let Go Just a Little Bit
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…