When Harsh was 19, he was robbed and shot, and his life took a dramatic turn. He found himself facing life as a paraplegic, and taking on the challenge of how to get through each day with a new body.
He had to learn to do what used to be simple tasks in a new way.
“In the very beginning, there were more prominent issues, day to day wise, like how am I going to get around and who’s going to drive me where.”
Harsh shares that the first nine months following his injury, “my identity was completely stripped away from me.” In his search to find meaning in his life again, he discovered the National Wheelchair Basketball Association. He joined the Medstar National Rehabilitation Hospital’s wheelchair basketball team: The NRH Punishers. Now, a decade after his injury, Harsh is one of the leaders on the team, as well as the team manager.
In being part of the NHR Punishers, Harsh has found a way to help others who are facing a similar situation to his own.
“It’s about knowing other people’s flaws … and finding a way to still get them to contribute to the rest of the team morale or team mentality.”
Harsh has used his experience in finding his own independence to help others find theirs as well. He works as a spinal cord injury specialist at Medstar NRH where he coordinates peer mentoring and adaptive fitness programs for patients. The program connects individuals who are newly injured with others who have successfully navigated the early days and months following their injuries.
“I didn’t have somebody such as myself to talk to when I was going through it. Help others until you’ve helped them to the point where they can help others.”
That’s how Harsh is paying it forward.
Credit to Jimmy Cassidy for the film.