Facing Disability interviews people with spinal cord injuries and their family members to shed light on important topics about coping with disability. They recently asked a group of individuals the question — What’s important for family and friends to understand? Hear Ryan and Sarah’s responses.
Ryan
Ryan is a quadriplegic who was injured in 2015 at the age of twenty-five. He wants people to understand that the person with the SCI is the same person they used to be.
“Having a spinal cord injury, I don’t want to be treated any differently.”
Ryan does not want to be treated differently because of his spinal cord injury. One of his biggest pet peeves is when people ask him if he needs he help with something. “Even though they are doing it out of courtesy, I’d just rather ask for help,” says Ryan.
Sarah
Sarah gives her perspective as a wife to a husband who has a spinal cord injury. She says, “I think it’s really important to understand that (spinal cord injury) is hard to understand.” She continues by saying that spinal cord injury affects every aspect of a person’s life. Sarah encourages others to be understanding.
“It’s a process. It’s going to take time to heal.”
She states everyone grieves in their own time. If your loved one needs more time to process, give them that time. However, try your best to encourage them to move on in a healthy way.