Michiganders! Join us for a day of golf and help better the lives of spinal cord injury survivors

Click here to register now!

We are pleased to announce the Third Annual Will2Walk golf scramble on July 28, 2011 in Port Sanilac, MI at the beautiful Huron Shores Golf Club. This annual event is one of the main ways we raise funds in order to help people with spinal cord injuries live healthy lives.

Golfers of all skill levels are welcome

Anyone can participate in this fun event.

Price is only $75, and includes the scramble and a catered lunch. Can’t come to golf? Then please join us for lunch ($15 per person).

Come join in the fun at the Will2Walk Golf Scramble

All funds generated by this event will support Will2Walk’s mission to promote awareness about spinal cord injuries and educate people with spinal cord injuries about what they can do today to prepare for the cure.

We need your support to help us meet our goal

Our goal this year is to earn $25,000. We raised raised $12,000 at last year’s event and we need your support to meet this year’s goal.

Please register today for the Will2Walk Golf Scramble [LINK], and make a difference in the lives of spinal cord injury survivors.

Sponsorship opportunities are available too

If your company or organization would like to help change the lives of people with spinal cord injuries, we invite you to become an event sponsor.

Click here to help sponsor this event: Third Annual Will2Walk Golf Scramble

Would you like to volunteer to help out at this event? Please contact Will2Walk with your availability.

See you on July 28, 2012!

May 10-12, 2012 at Bartlett Lake Marina

Here at Will2Walk, an important part of our mission is to help people with spinal cord injuries lead fulfilling, active lives. We can’t think of a better way to accomplish this goal than to financially support this year’s Day at the Lake program sponsored by Barrow Neurological Institute.

The Day on the Lake program allows people with physical and neurological disabilities an opportunity to get outside and enjoy the lovely Arizona sunshine at one of the most accessible waterside facilities in Arizona—Bartlett Lake Marina.

Day on the Lake is the only adapted watersports program for those with physical and neurological disabilities offered in Arizona.

Summer 2011 marked Barrow’s 15th year of helping people who suffer from a neurological disability ride the waves, including

• Waterskiing
• Jet ski rides
• Fishing
• Kayaking
• Boat rides

Who may participate?

The Day on the Lake program is offered to:

• Children ages 3-8 (fishing and boat ride only)
• Children and adults 8 years and older (all activities)
• Those with physical and/or neurological challenges who are at least 1 year post-injury

The public is  welcome to come watch the day’s events and activities. Participant scholarships are also available.

Please call the Resource Link at 877-602-4111 to register or to sponsor a participant.

See you at the lake!

Please help us support quality of life programs like the Day on the Lake with your tax-deductible donation to Will2Walk Foundation.

Purchase your Spring Training game tickets and help raise awareness of spinal cord injuries.

Available tickets

Would you like to volunteer to help out at this event? Please contact Will2Walk with your availability and interests.

Enjoy a sunny Arizona day and help support a great local charity at the Will2Walk Ride4Change event, March 10, 2012.

Register now:  Ride4Change online registration

Your choice of single rider ($20/bike) or double riders ($25/bike).

Five stops – five cards – best hand at the end of the day wins.

The Ride4Change begins at 9:00am, March 10, 2012 the at the Harley Davidson of Scottsdale. Register at 9:00 and receive your first playing card. First bikes will roll out at 9:30am; last bikes by 10:30am.

Participants then go to each each of our participating businesses and receive another card. At the end of the day at 4:00pm, the card hands will be shown. The best hand at the end of the day wins.

Ride stops:

• Harley Davidson of Scottsdale
• Superstition Harley Davidson dealership – Apache Junction
• Saguaro Lake Marina
• Greasewood Flat
• The Hideaway

No colors please.

Sponsorship opportunities are still available!

Click here to help sponsor this event: Ride4Change sponsorship

Would you like to volunteer to help out at this event? Please contact Will2Walk with your availability and interests.

Stan Clawson doesn’t let his T9-10 complete break keep him from succeeding in his chosen profession

University of Utah's Stan Clawson

It was August 20, 1996, and 20-year-old Stan Clawson was out enjoying a rock climbing adventure in Little Cottonwood Canyon. As he repelled off a cliff, his gear came apart and he plummeted 48 feet. He first landed on his back, then the momentum rolled him into a nearby stream.

“I have no recollection of the fall, really – no pain,” says Clawson, who was with his cousin and a friend at the time of the accident. “I lost three units of blood, broke ribs, collapsed both lungs, and severed my spinal cord.” Stan underwent a “classic” surgical procedure to insert rods and screws in his back.

“While I was in the ICU, I had a vision of being at the bottom of a well,” Stan says. The sides of the well were glowing red like the embers of a campfire. I remember thinking to myself that I needed to get out of the well, that if I could just climb out, I could heal. In the vividness of the dream, I actually felt myself climbing back up to the top from this terrible pit,” Listening to Stan recalling his dream with quiet intensity makes you feel like you were with him in that well.

Accepting the present; looking to the future

After his surgery, Stan experienced a rush of acceptance, a certainty that things would be okay if he worked hard. The question was never IF he was going to pursue his college path toward work. The question was whether he would be able to work in the field he loved.

During the five-week hospital stay, he had missed the fall term at the University of Utah where was studying his passion – filmmaking. Shortly after his release, he set about to make a holiday film, just to see if he could still hold a camera. He could.

“I was back at school again in January for the start of the winter term. I took one class at first to prove to myself that I could do it,” he says. “If the accident had to happen, it was perfect timing. I was young, resilient and in good physical shape.”

Entering the work world after graduation

Stan’s first job after graduation was helping to start up a company called Pipe Dream Productions. Next, he went on to the Salt Lake Organizing Committee where he not only worked on the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, but also participated in the Paralympic Games that season. For a time, he worked at the National Abilities Center in Park City, Utah doing outreach and public relations.

Leadership and learning

Stan Clawson filming on location

For the last eight years, Stan has been doing what he loves most – working at his alma mater supervising a staff of six at Campus Video Services. But this is just his “8:00 to 5:00” job.

Stan also teaches an introductory-level course called Video Production I at “The U” and also freelances on video projects focusing on disability issues. In his spare time, he also gives lectures in the Business Department on the perks of hiring those with disabilities.

“Before the accident, I had a negative view of disabilities,”Stan says. “Now, my goal is to inform and educate others and show them that living with a disability isn’t such a bad thing. Employing people with disabilities brings tremendous value to any organization – not just in terms of tax advantages, which are nice, but also in the loyalty and perseverance that we bring to a company.”

Stan’s Advice

The worst thing you can do is become shut in.

“Learning how to get from the wheelchair to bed was like crossing the Grand Canyon. And that first day in public in a wheelchair was very hard for me, but my mentor showed me it could be done!”

Don’t shelve things.

“Figure out what your goals are and then adapt your methods to reach them. If you get involved, your confidence will come back and grow!”

Don’t worry. You’ll be able to get a job.

“When you go for an interview, don’t be afraid the employer won’t hire you. Focus on making the interviewer feel at ease with you. Do some undercover work on the building beforehand to be sure it is accessible. Doing this kind of research shows that you’re a self-starter.”

Never adopt a rear-view mentality.

“I’ve had frustrating days, but I can honestly say I’ve never been depressed. That’s not going to be the case for everybody though. You have to make the decision to look forward and find a great support network of family, friends and peer mentors.”

Be patient with Able-bodied people in your life.

“You can’t expect them to be on board right away. I remember people speaking slowly and loudly to me like I’d lost my hearing and my mind. Then there was one man who was trying to pay me a compliment. He said, ‘Wow, you work really hard for a disabled guy!’ Try to look at these situations as an opportunity to show people something different about what it’s like to have a spinal cord injury. You become a professor in a way, teaching people how to perceive disability.”

Speaking from the heart about spinal cord injuries

Stan Clawson

Today, at age 35, Stan has full upper body use but is paralyzed below the two upper abdominal muscles. “I have an awesome two-pack,” he jokes. Stan’s sense of humor has helped him to keep him positive and reaching for all that life has to offer.

“I have a great social life and have had a girlfriend now for two years,” Stan says. Dating can be tricky, but keep at it. It may take a while, but the choice is up to you.”

“As time goes on, people will start to see you and not the chair. In fact, there have been occasions when my friends picked me up to go out to dinner, and then left me stranded in the car at the restaurant. They’re just chatting away and forget that someone needs to get the wheelchair out of the trunk!”

We hope you liked Back to Work, our series on participating in the work world with a spinal cord injury. If you have specific questions about working with an SCI, please contact us: Contact Will2Walk. We would be happy to answer your questions.

On Christmas Eve, 2007, cancer researcher Dave Gillespie collided with a tree while snowboarding at the Brighton ski area in Utah.

His spine was stretched to the point of severe damage resulting in a T6 complete break – no sensation from the sternum down.

“I never lost consciousness,” recalls Gillespie. “I knew most of the surgeons who were likely to be operating on me, and I remember telling the emergency medical personnel exactly who to call and how to reach them.”

The team of surgeons fused his spine between T-9 and T-12, and he spent five and a half months in the hospital.

Going back to work meant creatively navigating the workspace

Dave says he always wanted to get back to work and his current research on brain cancer. “It was (and is) my passion.” He returned a year after his accident.

His employers at the Huntsman Cancer Institute kept his spot open. But how did they help to create an accessible workplace – a bustling, close-quarters laboratory filled with co-workers?

“Lab work is usually done standing up so there’s not really any room for the wheelchair underneath the tables,” says Dave. “Equipment like microscopes and centrifuges, which are expensive, are typically shared. There is little space to spare so supplies are stored on high shelves.”

The solution was not to alter the lab, but rather, to alter Dave’s wheelchair. He now uses an electric wheelchair that converts by to a standing position, locking Dave’s legs into place so he doesn’t fall over.

Impact to family life

Dave and his wife knew about wheelchairs long before the snowboarding accident. Their middle son, Russel, has a form of epilepsy that causes multiple seizures daily and has left him with mental capacity of a nine-month old.

“My SCI has been very stressful on our marriage. It’s a lot harder on my wife than me. She has a whole new set of responsibilities – house chores that I used to do and near solo 24/7 care of Russel, who is 14 years old now and 5’11”.

The couple discussed separating, but made the decision to stay together. They recently celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary.

“In general, I’d say that people are much more open and friendly with me now than before my injury,” Dave says. “But I think that might be because my personality is more socially inclined today, and I’m more talkative than I was before. I’m more of an advocate now.”

Dave’s advice for the newly injured

In the years since Dave’s accident, he has learned a few tricks for making the most out of life despite a spinal cord injury.

This Texas father-and-son partnership supports injured high school football players with their organization, Gridiron Heroes

“It’s really hard for these guys down the road. They become forgotten athletes.”
~Eddie Canales, co-founder of Gridiron Heroes

Football is more than just a game in Texas.

Hundreds of Texas communities revolve around the excitement of high school football season. For top players, the high school football years can be the best ones of their lives—the young men taste success, competition, and glory.

But there is another side to high school football. Every year in Texas, about three young men sustain spinal cord injuries; the total injured is about a dozen annually for the entire United States.

Chris Canales was one of those young men. In 2001, in his senior year, he was injured while making a touchdown-saving tackle. Doctors told his father, Eddie, that Chris’ spinal cord injury meant that he would likely not be able to move anything below his shoulders.

The Canales family adjusted to their new roles as caregivers; Eddie quit his full-time job to care for his son while Eddie’s wife, Pita, assumed the role as full-time breadwinner.

At another football game, everything changed for Chris and Eddie again

On the first anniversary of his accident, Eddie invited Chris out to a high school football game, hoping to cheer up his son by sharing an activity they had always enjoyed.

During the game—the first one Chris had attended since his accident—the father and son watched in shock as a young man went down on the field and could not stand up. The two men knew instantly what had occurred.

Eddie recalls:

“It was the year anniversary date of his injury. It was starting to sink in that he was going to be in that wheelchair and playing football was over for him. He had already graduated and all his friends were gone. Chris was on a path of depression, wanting to isolate himself from the outside, not wanting to go to rehab and shutting down emotionally. So I took him to a State Championship game. This was the first high school game he attended since his own injury.

I merely wanted to get him out of the house, hoping to snap him out of that mode of feeling sorry for himself. We had no clue, we would witness someone else suffer a spinal cord injury.”

After watching the injury and seeing the player, Corey Fulbright, being lifted and put on a cart, Chris turned to his father and said, “Dad, we needed to go and help him. I know what he is going to go through and you know what the parents are going to go through. We need to go and help them.”

Eddie and Chris spent time at the hospital with the injured player and his family, providing emotional support during the player’s transition to his new life.

From that time, Eddie and Chris realized their calling: to create Gridiron Heroes, a non-profit organization to help high school football players with spinal cord injuries and their families.

“It was as if the Lord revealed his plan for Chris and our family,” says Eddie.

Helping the most vulnerable athletes, those who are injured and forgotten

Eddie and Chris Canales with Gridiron Heroes at a State Championship Game

Unlike college and pro athletes with injuries, high school football players with spinal cord injuries have neither a financial nor emotional support systems.

The parents and the player are left trying to make sense of the injury and figure out how to cope.  The team, other students, and the coach are often unprepared for the situation and have few resources to guide them.

Perhaps most trying of all is the agony the injured player feels as he watches his friends go on to college football success, while he must struggle with extreme physical and financial limitations.

“It’s really hard for these guys down the road,” says Eddie. “They become forgotten athletes.”

Eddie and Chris are determined to provide hope to these injured athletes, encouraging them through the mundane-yet-important parts of rehab and helping to inspire the young men to go on living life to the fullest.

Gridiron Heroes also supports the former athletes through financial means as well, providing funds for wheelchairs, vans, pressure-reducing mattresses, and monthly $100 Wal-Mart gift cards to help buy necessary supplies.

The duo has no corporate sponsor and raises all the funds themselves through donations from the football community and benefit events. “We make our funds go a long way,” says Eddie. “Spinal cord injuries can cost a family hundreds of thousands of dollars, so we do what we can to ease their burden.”

One thing remains the same: the love of football

Eddie and Chris Canales with Gridiron Heroes at the Dallas Cowboys training camp

You might think that after dealing with a spinal cord injury sustained from high school football, Eddie, Chris, and other people associated with Gridiron Heroes would be against the sport.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

“Gridiron Heroes is not about deterring people from football,” says Eddie. “We still love football—and all the young men we work with say over and over that if they had it to do again, they would still play. The game of football is a bond we all share.”

Eddie does believe, however, that the football community can and should do more to recognize these young athletes and their sacrifices.

“We hope that the football community will take a bit from the military and start ‘taking care of their own,’” Eddie says. “No one likes to think of the injuries that can happen, but we must deal with these issues as a community so that players get the support they need.”

Eddie Canales and the Gridiron Heroes organization is currently vying for $250,000 in prize money from the CNN Heroes project. People can vote for Eddie as “Hero of the Year” up to 10 times a day until 12/7/11. Please see www.gridironheroes.org to learn more.

Connie Neal and her good friend, Michelle Hori Hunt (left)

Our newest installment in “Back to Work”—a series to help people with spinal cord injuries re-enter the workforce

“Work helps you satisfy the need to feel valued and will fight the feelings of inadequacy and depression that may arise. Decide what you can do and what you want to do and then figure out how to accomplish it. You can contribute an amazing amount”~ Connie Neal

Connie Neal is a front-line supervisor at the Internal Revenue Service. In her job, she supervises 15 employees and travels for work.

Connie Neal with daughter Kaitlinn and son Carson

Connie, a single mother of two (Kaitlinn and Carson, then 10 and 8 years old, respectively) had broken 10 ribs, fractured 11 vertebrae from C4 to L1, severed her spinal cord at the lowest break (L1), and for a time, was in a coma.

The doctor told her mother and father, Bill and Karen Frost, that she would never walk again and that she would be totally dependent on them for the rest of her life.

Given this information, Connie and her family made difficult choices. Connie sold her home and her parents had their home remodeled for accessibility so that Connie and her children could move in.

Getting back to work and back into life.

Despite her doctor’s dire warnings, Connie was back to work in only three and a half months. She worked part-time for the first few months while she regained her stamina and returned to full-time status within six months of the accident.

The IRS had kept Connie’s job waiting for her – double-encumbering the position (paying her and her temporary replacement for the same position) until she could return full-time.

Other physical accommodations included moving her parking spot closer, installing accessibility buttons on doors and moving her office from the second floor to the first floor for easier evacuation in the case of an emergency.

“My manager, Vicky Cook, was so amazing during those first four months back at work. She became my closest friend, would listen to my fears, grieve with me over my loss, strengthen my resolve, help me believe in myself and my abilities, and ultimately encouraged my career direction towards management,” Connie says. “She was crucial to my mobility and independence in the beginning, retrieving my chair from the back of my Jeep and even assisting me in transferring from my chair to the toilet (not a glamorous job, but a much appreciated).”

Connie Neal and extended family enjoy Disneyland

At the year mark, Connie made the difficult decision to forego her physical therapy, a three-time-a-week undertaking that involved a 90-minute drive one-way and an out-of-pocket cost the equivalent of a $1300 monthly mortgage payment.

Instead, the priority for her and her children had become their independence as a family and their own home. “My motivation was definitely the desire to raise my children on my own,” says Connie. “They were only 8-1/2 and 10 years old at the time. I was so grateful to my parents for their love and support in getting us through a living nightmare, but I could see that my kids were overwhelmed with so many people parenting, and I wanted to be the one they came to for comfort or help.”

Newly injured? Connie offers this advice:

Get a peer mentor right away.

“There wasn’t really a mentor program in place when I was hurt, but I had two people – Muffy Davis and Stan Clawson – who were around my age, with spinal cord injuries, in wheelchairs, who volunteered at the hospital and came and visited me. Their advice and straight talk made all the difference in my recovery.

Now, most hospitals have a peer mentor program – I’m actually a mentor at the University of Utah (U of U) Hospital now. I speak with newly injured patients and help them see there is a very worthwhile life to live after their accident! I also became involved in the outdoor TRAILS and SPLORE programs for the disabled at the U of U, where I learned to kayak, horseback ride, water/snow-ski, river-rafting trips and joined in accessibility studies for vacation/destination resorts.

My kids were welcome for almost every opportunity, which I appreciated. Since my accident, I have learned that there isn’t anything I can’t enjoy doing – it just takes some determined, logistical consideration. Before the accident, my favorite sport was softball, and when I discovered how difficult it now was to hit, throw or ‘run,’ I learned ‘if you can’t do – coach!’ I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to coach both of my kids’ baseball and softball teams.”

Take what the doctors tell you with a grain of salt.

“The medical field is still learning about spinal cord injuries, and each individual injury is so different – reach out and get educated about your condition. I remember the doctor telling me, ‘Miss Neal, you are a T12-L1 ASIA-A complete paraplegic – you will never walk again … and any movement recovered within the first year will be all you’ll ever get.’

The best education I received after my accident was provided through my rehab doctor, Jeffrey Rosenbluth. He conducts annual nine-week spinal cord forums where patients learn everything from anatomy to hygiene to an outdoor expo where booths from local business and volunteer groups provide exciting opportunities to enjoy the outdoors again.

I’ve gone each year and learned new things each time and now I understand the ‘why’ behind my physical issues and that helps me accept my limitations and approach new challenges.

Ironically, six years later, I had to have extreme surgery to remove infected bone caused by an invasive pressure sore. At ORMC Wound Care and Hyperbarics, my wound doctors, Peter Clemens and Joan Balcombe, recommended hyperbaric treatments to promote expedited wound healing.  Surprisingly, my spinal cord doctor wasn’t very supportive of that route, but I chose to proceed with hyperbaric treatments.

Miraculously, on top of expedited healing of my incision line and damaged tissue, I also recovered my bowel and bladder functions – something I hadn’t had control of since my accident. Shortly thereafter, I was driving and singing with the radio and realized I was tapping my foot with the music … my hip flexors were working now too! Unfortunately, hyperbaric treatment is outrageously expensive, so I couldn’t continue the treatments; otherwise, who knows where I’d be a year later. But I’m very grateful for the control I’ve regained as a ‘side-benefit’. You just never know … and neither do the doctors.”

Get on with your life.

“Your attitude drives everything in your life – whether you have a spinal cord injury or not. You have to accept that your old life is behind you and look forward to the new one. I had to let go of some habits – my house is no longer immaculate, but I can clean even the most awkward space and perform every menial task.

Connie Neal celebrates with daughter Kaitlinn at a school award ceremony

Work if you can.

“Work helps you satisfy the need to feel valued and will fight the feelings of inadequacy and depression that may arise. Decide what you can do and what you want to do and then figure out how to accomplish it. You can contribute an amazing amount. I find pride and satisfaction in providing for my family and not relying on outside assistance. I realize not everyone has that luxury; but if you can work, why not work?! It’s given me purpose, responsibility and a reason to get out of bed each morning … just like everyone else has to, to support my family. Why should my paralysis separate me from everyone else?

Don’t be afraid to experiment to find what works best for you. Everyone told me I’d have to give up my Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV because of its height and the fact that women don’t have the upper body strength to transfer in and out of that kind of vehicle. I tried the techniques my occupational therapist (feet first approach) suggested, but they didn’t work for me because my knees kept locking. After a very long day filled with agonizing, bloody and bruising attempts, I finally discovered the bottom-first method worked for me. Now I drive an even taller Nissan Pathfinder and have ‘the arms of the man I’ve always wanted’ to prove it!”

The biggest lesson Connie learned

“I’ve really learned what is most important in life – my family, my faith and my friends – everything else is window dressing,” says Connie. “Although my kids grew up a little faster than I would have liked, they’ve gained so much insight and empathy for people with disabilities and have developed a whole skill set most adults never acquire. They volunteer with me in helping other disabled people enjoy life.  They’ve learned one of the most valuable lessons – that it’s okay to be different – and they’ve even been able to pass some of these lessons to their own friends. I couldn’t be a prouder mom of two amazing kids! They are my life, the reason I’m still around … and I love them very much.”

Connie sums up her journey with a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in times of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge and controversy.”

Do you have a story about how you re-entered the work world after a spinal cord injury? We would love to interview you for a future profile. Please contact Will2Walk today.

We met Pat Schmitt in September, 2011 through Twitter and smiled at his Twitter background emblazoned with “I’m only it for the parking.” Once we saw his lively YouTube video “doing donuts” in the snow in his motorized chair, we knew we HAD to get to know this guy. We thought you would like to meet him as well.

“Sure, I have challenging days, but I believe that if I couldn’t handle it, I wouldn’t have been dealt the situation.” ~Pat Schmitt

Pat Schmitt is an active man who doesn’t let his spinal cord injury limit what he can enjoy in life.

Pat was injured in a motorcycle accident on September 1, 2006. He was 22 years old at the time. After spending 45 days in a coma, Pat awoke to learn that he had sustained a C5/6 injury.

Losing the use of his hands and legs was devastating to the active man, who loved riding his motorcycle and playing softball five nights a week.

Five years later, Pat has a refreshed attitude and can-do spirit. “I have learned to keep doing the activities I love,” he says. “I can’t do them the same way I did before, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still enjoy softball, motorsports, or hunting.”

The changes in Pat’s outlook didn’t occur overnight.

The first year post-injury was a rough one for Pat. He recovered in a local Milwaukee hospital, coming home with a pressure sore so extreme that he was bedridden for six months. He also had no physical therapy that first year.

Pat’s situation would soon change for the better. On the first anniversary of his injury, he received his first therapy at the Shepherd Center, an Atlanta-based rehabilitation center. “This was the best experience,” Pat says. “Not only did I get therapy, but by meeting 20 or so other people in chairs, I got to learn by seeing how others did things.”

After only six weeks at Shepherd, Pat returned home. He realized his outlook had improved. “Sure, I have challenging days,” he says, “but I believe that if I couldn’t handle it, I wouldn’t have been dealt the situation.”

He also learned how important it can be to rely on family and friends to help when times are rough. “My family and good friends have been incredible in keeping my spirits up when I felt overwhelmed,” Pat says.

New career outlook

One of the most difficult aspects of Pat’s injury was not being able to use his hands. At the time he was injured, Pat was working as a service technician for a door manufacturer and travelled all over the country performing door installations and training people.

Pat knew he needed to seek career retraining. In 2010, he enrolled in Concordia University in Mequon, Wisconsin to work on his associate’s degree in business management. He admits that schoolwork is not his favorite thing, however he devotes himself to his studies and to meeting new people in the classroom.

In addition to his studies, Pat recently became a spokesperson for Rollin Wear, a line of apparel for people in wheelchars that Schmitt is proud to represent.

“I am happy to be working with Rollin Wear,” Pat says. “I’ll get to learn more about marketing and they are really good people. They will be coming out with a new line of adaptive fit jeans in the near future that I’m excited about.”

Advice for the newly injured

Given the rough start Schmitt had right after his injury, Pat has words of advice for others who are facing a spinal cord injury:

1) Stay strong. It WILL get better.

“Injury is hard to accept sometimes, but be thankful that you are still here. Don’t focus on the hand you have been dealt.”

2) Don’t get discouraged if some friends “disappear.”

“You may find that some of your loved ones will have a hard time dealing with your injury—not everyone can adapt to the change in your relationship. That is their problem, not yours.”

“On the plus side, some people will surprise you for the good—you will discover that you have solid friends that you didn’t expect that will be there for you through the tough times.”

3) Remember: Your life is not over, you just have to adapt.

“I was devastated after my injury because hunting was such a big part of my life. That first hunting season, I thought ‘I’m never going to be able to hunt again.’ But I learned that although it was different, I could still go out in the woods with my friends and hunt—I just had to do things differently. Since 2007, I have shot three turkeys and three deer.”

“I also coach a fast-pitch softball team for girls ages 13 to 15. At first I thought it would be horrible to be out there when I couldn’t play. But now, I’m assistant coach with the team and have regained my love of the sport and it turns out that coaching has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.”

4) Live life to the fullest!

“What gets me through is realizing that tomorrow is not a promise—you have to live life to the fullest each day. Be thankful for your health and that you are still here. Life rolls on.”

Do you know someone, like Pat, who is an inspiration for people with spinal cord injuries? Please contact Will2Walk to discuss an online profile. We would love to meet you.

“The idea of returning to work should be introduced earlier in the recovery process than it traditionally is.”~ Lynette Ballard, of the University of Utah Hospital Rehabilitation Center.

Moving from injury to work

After you sustain a spinal cord injury (SCI), worrying about getting a job may very well be the last thing on your mind amid the concerns of rebuilding your physical strength and capabilities.

For some, the thought of working outside the home may be dismissed completely as the initial challenges of relearning even basic tasks like toileting or getting dressed seem overwhelming.

And for family members and friends, the question “How will you earn a living now?” might seem like an off-limits topic for conversation.

This article will share ideas and resources that will help get you “Back to Work.”

Thinking about working can help in recovery

“The idea of returning to work should be introduced earlier in the recovery process than it traditionally is,” says Lynette Ballard, a licensed clinical social worker and the designated Spinal Cord Injury Social Worker at the University of Utah Hospital Rehabilitation Center.

In Ballard’s practice, 75 percent of the SCI patients are men between the ages of 30 and 60 who were already in the workforce at the time of their accidents. This means that the great majority of people she treats had work for a key source of self-esteem and identity before their accidents.

“These men are more socially disposed to the idea of going back to work so talking about that up front is more comfortable for them. As a general rule though, women are more apt to return to work than men. Only one of my female patients is not working,” Ballard says.

The workplace is more accommodating today

Today, 15 percent of Ballard’s patients go back to work. While this sounds like a low number, it has actually improved in the last 18 years that she’s been practicing—much of it due to the workplace changes that have occurred since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in July 1990.

Because of the awareness and education the ADA has fostered, the able-bodied public is a lot more accepting of people in wheelchairs and open to seeing them more fully integrated into all parts of society, including the workplace.

“With recent changes to the law, you can now work and still received a portion of the SSD payment,” says Ballard. “This law is important because working a 40-hour week is hard for those with SCIs, especially in the beginning.”

If, prior to your accident, you were working in one of the so-called “white collar” professions (doctors, lawyers, government workers, lab technicians, teachers, etc.), you’ll have an easier time of returning to your original job and retaining that same income level. Unless you suffered a brain injury in addition to the spinal cord injury, you didn’t lose the knowledge and skills stored in your head, and the workplace environment is more easily adaptable for a wheelchair.

“If you’re a construction worker or a mechanic, you’re going to have a harder time of it,” says Ballard, speaking frankly. “If you’re open to retraining, there are vocational rehab programs available at the state and federal levels that can help with transportation, training and scholarships.”

You can even start planning to work while in rehab

The sooner you start to plan for this possibility, the faster you’ll advance toward whatever employment goal you set for yourself.

“I discuss this aspect of my patient’s recovery at the earliest possible time,” Ballard says. “This discussion allows the patient to incorporate back-to-work goals into their rehab programs whether the intention is to return to work as soon as possible or is left more open ended.”

How long will it take you to get back to work?

When asking how long will it take you to re-enter the workforce, remember one thing: Everyone is different. There’s no set expectation because each person is unique, starting from a different physical reality (C-7 vs. L-5 capabilities for instance).

One of Ballard’s patients, who battled skin breakdowns and urinary tract infections for 10 years, has decided he’s well enough now and wants to go back to work. For others, emotional and psychological hurdles also play a role.

“People can get stuck in their anger over a life that is radically different than it was before their injury, or they may not have been doing well even before the SCI,” says Ballard. “Consider the person whose spinal cord injury was the result of a car accident while impaired. They have to learn how to deal with the SCI, and just as importantly, address the issues that caused their drug or alcohol abuse.”

Ballard is also adamant that getting a paycheck should not be your only measure of success: “Even if someone isn’t able to return to a ‘paying’ job, I know many people with SCIs who volunteer, become mentors, get involved in public speaking, etc. While these are not necessarily the traditional ‘return to work’ scenarios, they are still valid, valuable forms of work that give a person a real sense of productivity and self-worth.”

Facing challenges head-on

As with everything else in this process of rebuilding your life, going back to work will require facing new uncomfortable situations, but the sense of accomplishment and the feeling of being back in control is worth the discomfort and trepidation you may experience at first.

“Some people are terrified of going back to work,” says Ballard. “Being embarrassed by a public bowel or bladder accident is among the biggest concerns. Others worry that they won’t be taken seriously at work. The fear of not being accepted or not receiving approval is an impediment for many.”

Ballard suggests these things to help you overcome your fears:

• Find a peer mentor. He or she has been in your shoes and has invaluable advice and support to offer. If you don’t have someone to mentor you, please contact us at Will2Walk directly. We will be happy to put you in touch with others who understand your concerns.
• Seek advice from a social worker or counselor as early as possible. They are a great resource for the financial, physical and psychological issues you will tackle.
• Get to know your legal rights. If you feel that your facing workplace discrimination, there is help available.
• Be as transparent as possible with your prospective employer about the accommodations you will need: daily hours, number of breaks, work station setup, etc.
• And most importantly, Believe that you can do this. You can!

“I would also like to remind employers that when they hire someone with a spinal cord injury, they are getting a truly dedicated worker,” says Ballard, “someone who has overcome great obstacles in order to go back to work. That’s a real asset.”

Resources for your return to work

American with Disabilities Act (ADA): http://www.ada.gov/

Social Security/Working While Disabled Information: http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10095.html

Construction Community on Wheels (Dallas/Fort Worth area): www.josephgrohfoundation.org

Advice for negotiating with federal and state programs; adaptive equipment evaluations: www.unitedspinal.org

Choices Manual (Chapter 12 deals with Vocational Rehab): www.rtcil.org/documents/finalchoices.htm

National Rehabilitation Information Center: www.naric.com/public/employment.cfm

National Spinal Cord Injury Association: http://www.spinalcord.org

Centers for Independent Living (CILs) are private, nonprofit corporations that provide services to maximize the independence of individuals with disabilities and the accessibility of the communities they live in: http://www.ilru.org/html/publications/directory/index.html

Peer support website for people with SCI: www.apparelyzed.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=217

Please check in for next installments of “Back to Work.” We have more tips and profiles of other people with SCI who are successful in the world of work.

Would you like a volunteer activity to get you started? Here at Will2Walk, we always need volunteers, from writing to researching to fundraising. Please see our Volunteer with Will2Walk page for more information.