When you undergo a traumatic injury, life as you planned it can change in a second. After you’ve gone through the grieving process, you may be asking yourself “what now?” Sometimes your career can continue with some modifications; other times you will need to extensively revise what you had planned to do with your life and what is available to you.
That was the case with Ian, a typical 19-year-old looking forward to starting his freshman year at Ohio State University when a diving accident left him with quadriplegia. After a 6-year rehabilitation and reassessment process, he is once again on the path to beginning his college education.
Before his injury, Ian had the normal college jitters about making friends, fitting in, and making good grades. And while he still has those same questions and fears, he now has additional ones as well.
“How am I going to get that door open? Are people going to see me as a fellow student or pity me? How much extra time do I have to devote to typing that term paper?”
But Ian keeps a level head about his anxiety. “In the big scheme of things, these are all minor issues that are easily overcome compared to what I’ve already been through,” he shares.
In fact, Ian has been a regular face around the campus of OSU for the last 4 years, so he’s familiar with the surroundings. He participated in a research study at the Wexner Medical Center at the University.
“I don’t hesitate in describing myself as a human guinea pig, and am proud to play a role in advancing medical research by hooking up to a first-of-its-kind system with a brain implant and muscle stimulator developed by the Battelle Institute and the team at OSU led by Dr. Ali Rezai.”
Ian’s professional path has also taken a different turn since his injury. Instead of pursuing a career in video production or even joining his family’s business as he once thought he would do, Ian has found a new passion: accounting. And he wants to use his affinity for numbers and business to help people with their finances. “One way I’ve grown is coming to realize that the people and professions that I value most are those that help other people,” he shares. “I wouldn’t be here without an amazing team of nurses, occupational and physical therapists, physicians, engineers, and, of course, my family and friends.”
Sometimes our path in life doesn’t quite work out as expected. Ian has certainly experienced this. “It’s been a hell of a detour,” he says, “but I’m confident I’m going to be able to accomplish my goals. Now that I’m headed back to school, I’m psyched to get started.”