Paralyzed, Broke and Fabulous

The musings of a writer with a spinal cord injury.

[theophania79]

Lots of great videos have been added to our new site this month! Check out our top 3 - China Dixon, a C4-5 quad makes her first vlog, Gaelynn Lea's TEDx talk on sexuality and two high-level quads go bowling.

[theophania79]

Josh Basile proves you can live adventurously with a spinal cord injury

What would it take for Josh Basile to sail to Cuba, explore its cobblestone streets and survive the heat in a wheelchair?

[theophania79]

Meet our newest SCI Superstar US Paralympic swimmer Mallory Weggemann! A lifelong swimmer, she fought back from an epidural injection that paralyzed her and in a year returned to the sport she loves as a T10 para. She won gold in London in 2012, breaking the women's record in the 50m. Can she do it again in Rio? Read all about her journey, from injuring her arm in 2014 in a crazy fall to her wedding planned for this December.

[theophania79]

Meet our brand-new SCI Superstar Gordon Reid! At only 24 years old, he won the first ever men's singles match held at Wimbledon earlier this month. Scottish-bred and born, this 24 year old is on-fire in the wheelchair tennis world.

[theophania79]

[theophania79]

A catamaran with 4 titanium wheelchair lifts, 3 accessible helms for driving the boat, 2 accessible cabins and 1 amazing deck that wraps around the entire boat, check out our profile of the The Impossible Dream, the ship currently carrying our founder Josh Basile, a C4-5 quadriplegic, another quad and a paraplegic from Key West to Cuba. Read all about this amazing ship that is part of Shake-A-Leg Miami's accessible fleet.

[theophania79]

Meet our May SCI Superstar: Harry Horgman! Founder of the legendary adapted sailing program Shake-A-Leg Miami, he's credited for bringing adapted sailing to the masses. Read all about this passionate man, and how his injury in the early 1980's catapulted him into the sailing arena he lives in today.

[theophania79]

Meet our newest SCI Superstar - Dr. Reggie Edgerton! This silver-maned former swim coach from North Carolina has spent the last 40 years of his life working at UCLA researching how the spinal cord moves our muscles, and his research is producing exciting results! Including spinal cord injury stimulators, Rob Summers and a handful of other SCI men standing (and feeling!) and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation's "Big Idea."‪#‎thankyou‬

[theophania79]

[theophania79]

Read SPINALpedia's write-up on U2FP/Working2Walk 2015! See pictures, read overviews of the most interesting presentations from spinal cord injury research programs and watch video of the presentations (and of the advocates!). It was a great 2 days. Hope to see you all next year at W2W 2016 in Minneapolis!

[theophania79]

Are you aware of the changes coming to complex medical equipment Jan. 1st, 2016? Getting your wheelchair repaired may no longer be an easy thing. A bill however is aiming to stop these cuts and it needs to gain strength...which means it needs your help. Please like and share! Sign your support for the bill here: http://cqrcengage.com/access2crt/HR3229

[theophania79]

Meet SPINALpedia's SCI Superstar this week - founder of ALTER UR EGO, Heidi McKenzie! A T4 paraplegic since 2007, this former fashion design student recently returned to fashion and just started her own adaptive clothing label. Starting with jeans with plans to create an entire clothing line, this is the fabulous Heidi McKenzie.

[theophania79]

Meet SPINALpedia's SCI Superstar this week Henry Fraser! A 23 year old rising mouth painter from Britain, this C3 quad has become a sensation on Twitter thanks to his positive quotes and photos. And his spot on portraits of famous athletes and movie characters from David Beckham to Harry Potter have made him even more famous (with a shout out from JK herself). Read all about this former rugby player below.

[theophania79]

Meet SPINALpedia​'s SCI Superstar this week Priscilla Hedlin! The renowned The Wheelchair Mommy​ blogger, Priscilla is one of the most prolific parenting bloggers with a spinal cord injury with over 1200 posts and counting. Also blogging her daily fashion and much more, following her life online is a must for anyone newly injured or for anyone seeking a different perspective on the world. Go Priscilla!

[theophania79]

Meet SPINALpedia​'s SCI Superstar Priscilla Hedlin - the awesome The Wheelchair Mommy​ blogger from Austin, Texas! One of the most prolific and longtime SCI parenting bloggers online, this wife and mother of three adorable boys shares her life with the world, helping change misconceptions and stereotypes about spinal cord injury and parenting.

[theophania79]

Meet SPINALpedia's SCI Superstar Andy Hensel! A former top 20 freestyle motocross racer from Australia when he was able-bodied, this 24 year old is still doing what he loves. Last year he landed the world's first motocross back-flip by a paraplegic, proving his injury won't stop him one bit. His ultimate goal: To one day join the Nitro Circus​ along with paraplegic Aaron Fotheringham!

[theophania79]

Meet SPINALpedia​'s SCI Superstar this week Mary-Jo Fetterly! A former vegetarian chef and yoga teacher, she became a renowned adaptive yoga teacher post-injury. Now the founder of the yoga studio in Vancouver, Trinity Yoga, she's sharing with the world that indeed if you can breath, anyone can do yoga. Check her out on FB: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mary-Jo/209829495738988