Success Stories

Children’s Book Author Philip Langellotti

Philip LangellottiInspired by a passion for environmentalism and the sense that kids weren’t getting quality educations anymore, Philip Langellotti wrote a children’s book teaching scientific and disability awareness.

The Adventures of the Runaway Wheelchair

In 2019, Langellotti, a 72-year-old C5 hemiplegic from Harrison, New York, published his first children’s book, The Adventures of the Runaway Wheelchair: Into the Atmosphere. The story follows Mikey, a precocious and scientifically-inclined pre-teen wheelchair user who learns about climate change and the importance of environmental conservation after being sent into space by his wheelchair when it comes to life one night.

Langellotti worked as a lab technician and adjunct lecturer in natural and criminal science at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan, New York, until he was paralyzed in a 1982 car accident. The idea for the book started germinating in his head since the mid-1990s when he was a stay-at-home dad caring for his kids.

“My kids would be in the kitchen as I was standing at the sink washing a dish or putting my Italian culinary traditions into practice by cooking the family meal. I never like to lock my chair because I’m in and out of it 100 times a day. I would keep it right behind me, and it would start rolling away and the kids would say, ‘Daddy, daddy! Your chair is running away,’ and I would say, ‘Thank you very much, but one of these days, I’m going to write a story about that.’

Langellotti and his wife enjoy travel.
Langellotti and his wife enjoy travel.

Fast forward to the early 2000s, Langellotti and his family were attending a wedding when a friend expressed a concern about the environment and the impact of climate change. Langellotti was unsure what he could do to make a difference, but his friend’s comment stayed in the back of his mind. In 2015, he decided to write a book educating kids on the planet’s plight and the threat of climate change.

The book also gave him an opportunity to express his frustrations about living with an SCI, while giving the reader an inside look at the monotony and daily routine that sometimes comes with being a wheelchair user.

“It was a chance to vent about what was going on inside and was somewhat cathartic for me,” says Langellotti. “As a wheelchair user, everything is based on having all your ducks in a row. I had to make sure I didn’t have any bathroom issues and I had someone with me if we were out. It’s always complicated. Always.”

But more than that, he wanted to reignite his passion for teaching and his legacy as an educator, especially because he saw a lack of quality climate change books out there that were both educational and compelling to read for his target age group.

The Adventures of the Runaway Wheelchair: Into the Atmosphere is available on amazon.com.“This is a book for those age 13 to 99, and we’re all going to be leaving this good earth behind. These young people need to know what they’re inheriting, and what they have to read that’s out there is mediocre,” says Langellotti.

He worries that by not being in school because of COVID-19, kids are missing out on crucial tools that will take them through life. He hopes his book will broaden their horizons and help them open up a little. Though Langellotti is speaking to all students with Runaway Wheelchair, he’s specifically talking to students who use wheelchairs.

“I want them to know that even though they are using a wheelchair, they can go places. I wanted to take that utilitarian object and make it bigger than what it is, so they can use their imagination to take them on adventures.”

The Adventures of the Runaway Wheelchair: Into the Atmosphere is available on amazon.com.

Langellotti explains how the reflowering of an orchid resonates with himFlower Like an Orchid

Langellotti explains how the reflowering of an orchid resonates with him as a metaphor for finding a new life after SCI.

“I have about 100 orchids and if I’m lucky, I’ll have something in flower every month of the year. It’s difficult for me to bring them in and out. Plus, it’s cold in New York and you have to bring them in after the first frost, so I just leave them in the greenhouse. It’s my joyful room that I can go to and just enjoy. I’m mostly at home, and growing orchids ensures I don’t feel like I’m stuck. There’s nothing better than flowering plants. It’s very self-gratifying and brings me a lot of joy. I have plants in my greenhouse that are 30 years old. My orchids inspire me toward resilience. Like an orchid, I think you must reinvent yourself and maybe be reborn after injury. You have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again.”

My wife and I have been on nine cruises. It’s easier for me and I can keep up.If I could change one law:
Medicare is my biggest headache. In all my years, they’ve only approved one manual wheelchair and one power wheelchair.

Most accessible vacation:
Cruises. My wife and I have been on nine cruises. We’ve gone to Alaska, the Bahamas, western Caribbean, Bermuda and Canada.
It’s easier for me and I can keep up.

Can’t live without:
A left-footed gas pedal was a godsend. I brought my kids to school and I could get out and drive a little bit.

Why I joined United Spinal:
I think what’s so important about this organization is networking. You need to talk to others when you have a problem.


Membership to United Spinal Association is Free