Like what you do!
Do what you like, like what you do!
That is pretty much the coolest Facebook photo album title. The owner? Maegan Clark, a quad who has proven to herself and others that she is a force to be reckoned with.
Maegan Clark
20 yrs old, 3 years PI (post injury)
Maegan was a spunky 17 year old when a diving accident changed the way she would look at life forever. I met Maegan when she was still in the hospital, about 3 weeks after her diving accident. A positive, free-spirited teenager, she had had her life turned upside-down because of paralysis. I’ve watched her blossom into a role-model for other spinal cord injuries through her go-getter attitude. Not surprising, her motto is “Carpe Diem!” Her lack of inhibition continues to inspire.
Recently, Maegan and I spoke about what motivates her and what some of her challenges and triumphs have been throughout these past 3 years. Her profile and the great answers to the questions I had for her are below. Mother, Keela. Father, Mike. Sister, Katie. From Gilbert, AZ, attending ASU & studying for a degree in environmental sciences.
Who inspires you?
Corbin Beu. He is one of the coolest people I know. He does everything, including make his own equipment and traveling worldwide playing sports. He’s an all around bada**!
Sonya Perduta-Fulginiti- She got her nursing degree AFTER her injury 30-something years ago.
What motivates you?
Helping others and succeeding
What does it take to succeed as a quad?
A lot of patience and innovation with everything! Dressing, driving, everything. Find what works best for you. We didn’t have to think about it before (when we were able-bodied) but now we do.
Practice- you don’t want to but just do it! Things aren’t difficult because you’re a quad; some people just don’t know what they can do.
Maegan does have more hand function than a higher level injury -but- I’ve seen a quadruple amputee drive, have known at least three artists who paint with mouth wands and a handful of professionals who don’t have any use of their arms or hands.
Basically, no excuses. You can do it- “Mind over matter, all the way.”
How have you changed from before your injury?
I realized I didn’t understand the meaning of living life to the fullest because I never experienced it before my whole world changed. You really learn to appreciate what you have but it’s hard tell someone this who hasn’t had it happen to them. The things I thought were important before are not so important. I feel less held back now, more Carpe Diem, seize the day!
How have you evolved since your injury?
When I was a new injury a bunch of people (in wheelchairs) came to see me and I saw how people could still be normal. Don’t get me wrong, I had some tough days. When I came home from the hospital, I cried for 3 days straight but then on the 3rd day I took a look at my situation and and decided to move on. Now, 3 years later, I am not worried as much because I can take care of myself. I want to help others, like those who have helped me. I know what it takes to succeed and want to pass it on.
What are some unexpected challenges?
My challenges were less about self-pity and more about outside things like dealing with insurance companies and lawyers. I didn’t expect it to be so hard (to be paralyzed) even though I knew it wouldn’t be easy. I didn’t expect to have the abilities of a 2 year-old for a while; not being able to do simple things like open a water bottle or dress myself. But then things started progressing and it got better.
What are some unexpected benefits?
I am happier now than I have ever been. Being paralyzed is the best thing that has ever happened to me because I’ve been able to go scuba diving and be on TV for going off-roading (with Disabled Explorers).
What have you done since your injury?
I attend college for environmental sciences via Voc Rehab, drive a modified Honda Element, and mentor other new injuries. Recently, I gave a speech at a my old high school, got into rowing and scuba diving, played some quad rugby, and participated in this team-building project for class where we made a prosthetic hand for someone in another country. I love being able to contribute to someone else’s wellbeing. That hand changed someones life and I discovered that helping others inspires me.
What are some barriers you have run into and did they stop you?
If I had any mental barriers, they didn’t stop me. I started getting involved in all the programs and things that were available. Corbin does everything and travels the world and that has motivated me to take all opportunities that cross my path. Basically anything that was available to me as a person in a wheelchair I did.
What are your goals for the future?
Get my degree and go into renewable energy. It is a very accessible field, even if you may not necessarily be able to go to a site with tough terrain. I also want to go to the Paralympics for swimming and to continue to contribute to my community.
All in all…
They are no excuses for not pursuing what you want just because you’re in a chair. Anything is attainable. When there’s a will, there’s a way. If you want it bad enough, you’ll do it!
The Day Life Changed For Quadriplegic Ashleigh Justice
Reblogged from UroMed Catheter Health Blog:
Editor’s Note: As a 15-year-old new driver, Ashleigh Justice of Phoenix, Arizona, was driving her family vehicle when tragedy struck and changed her life forever. Part 1 of a 5 part series. Justice: I remember as a new driver, driving back with my family from a vacation in Texas. We thought my driving was relatively safe on the open highway, because there were very few cars on the road from Texas to Phoenix. On the open road, there was a semi tractor trailer that I needed to pass. As I started around …
You guys rock!!
Not just another day
I am sitting in at a coffee shop in Barnes and Noble, just trying to wrap my head around the last couple hours. In the time it takes me to hunt for articles to repost, topics to be researched, and interviews to be done, I have learned more about writing and its potential then I have in the 3/4 of a year that I’ve been focusing on it. The big message? Write what you know, write what you love and your audience will follow. It’s a /facepalm moment for me but then again, sometimes you have to look around the tree to see the rest of the forest.
I spoke with a gentleman named John E. Phillips today with whom I will be giving an interview tomorrow and in the course of conversation he asked me if I liked to write- Of course I do! I’ve loved writing ever since grade school. He spent the next 20 minutes teaching me what the past 40 years have taught him- just write, and write often. He had dyslexia in school and therefore struggled to succeed as a student. As he began writing about a topic that he knew very well about, hunting, he gained a readership and now writes for countless newspapers and magazines and has sold thousands of photographs. He also writes UroMed’s Hometown Heroes stories. Your message will apply to someone, he told me, you just have to make sure they hear it.
This then led me to B&N where I picked up a Writer’s Market (WTH this thing was, I had no idea before) and as I was getting settled in at the coffee shop, I ran across another cat who was a writer as well. We spoke for another 30 minutes (as coffee shops tend to be instant forums) and his message to me was “be a cork.” Be as a cork in the ocean, going up, down, left, right- wherever the water takes you. The water is life, the elements are God (whichever way we define our God), and we are supposed to go with the flow. The cork, I wondered to myself, is it Cabernet or Merlot? Haha, I love my humor sometimes
So, what do I know? Nothing short of death can stop you, and even then people have influence.
What do I love? Life. I love life and all of its intricacies- the way it can teach you; the way it can break you; the way it can build you back up. I am convinced that only life can teach you how to live.
AzSCIA = Empowerment
I wanted to take a moment to give a shout out to an organization very near and dear to my heart; the Arizona Spinal Cord Injury Association. 
When I was first injured my family became involved almost immediately. My mom sought out resources and brought in a peer mentor from AzSCIA so that I could ask questions and relate to someone. At the time I was apprehensive about it, but once we started talking and sharing it was a pivotal moment in my life. I needed someone who understood what I was going through and someone I didn’t need to be brave for.
Soon my parents signed up for family mentorship to help them navigate my new disability status and they found it hugely helpful. Later that year I began the Empowerment series which not only taught me about spinal cord injuries but introduced me to a group of individuals who served as not only mentors but became friends. I found real community and their guidance made that first year bearable. Eventually my mother joined the Board of the Association and several years later I worked there as the Community Resource Specialist.
Moving Forward and Looking Back
Now that I have moved on I can’t help but look back fondly and wonder if my life would have been different had we not sought out the Association. I would like to think I would still be where I am today, but they sure did make it easier. So I just wanted to let you guys know about a few of their programs:
- The Empowerment Class- a twelve week course with dinner and transportation provided, each class is a different topic related to paralysis.
- Peer Mentoring Program- No matter how far you are past your injury you can always request a peer mentor who can help counsel you through life changes, visit you when you’re sick or just serve as a sounding board.
- Social and Recreational Activities- Each month there are one or two fun events inspired just to get people out of the house and active. This also includes getting involved in sports like rugby, fencing, basketball, tennis, power soccer etc.
- Educational Classes- Check the calendar, there are two educational classes each month and transportation is provided
- Transportation- low cost accessible transportation 365 days a year
- Lending Closet- Books, wheelchairs, standing frames whatever you need the association probably has it check their first
- Information and Referral- Have a question or need a doctor? Call and get up to date information
- Chair Skill Classes- Twice a year they host a series of four classes that focus on wheelchair maintenance to navigating sidewalks, a great refresher course for rehab.
If you want to check them out go to www.azspinal.org or call 602-507-4209. The biggest thing I’ve learned since my injury is that you can’t get answers if you don’t ask questions so contact your local Spinal Cord Injury Association today!
Getting it Right: a video all chair users (and providers) need to see
I love social media because great ideas can spread like wildfire. Today, a video went viral about the importance of a well-designed wheelchair- a topic important to me and my readers. I like and respect how the video does not over-dramatize the daily challenges people with disabilities face; it just shows and explains how the right equipment can be the difference between dependence and independence.
The video also shows how wheelchairs are not “one size fits all” and how an improperly fitted wheelchair can, in fact, cause expensive medical problems, such as pressure sores and scoliosis. On a personal note, a couple years of after my spinal cord injury, I developed scoliosis (in part) because my first wheelchair didn’t fit me properly. As late as 10 years ago, wheelchairs were something you “grew in to” but now this video proves how a wheelchair is really an extension of you and is just as important as legs are to a person who walks.
Now that you’ve seen the video, here is how you ensure you get the chair that is properly fitted for you:
Seating Evaluation and Wheelchair Prescription
Toys to be collected at 12Ks of Christmas
‘Running in a sea of Santas’ now has new meaning. Over the weekend, we learned that a friend of many, Jessica Stebbins of Tucson, Arizona, passed away sometime over Friday night. The circumstances of her death are still unknown and she leaves behind many family and friends who adored her.
One of her passions was supporting her sister’s organization, Heartz 4 Kidz, which collects and donates toys for foster children in Tucson. In memory of Jessica, myTEAM Triumph- Wings of Phoenix will be collecting donations of toys at their first event, The 12Ks of Christmas. We will be taking the toys to Tucson after the event so if you would like to donate please see the attached flyer for details and join us December 10! Please spread the word!
A very heartfelt ‘thanks.’
Run, Run, Rudolf!
Run in a sea of SANTAS!
myTEAM Triumph Wings of Phoenix will be participating in it’s first race on December 10, The 12Ks of Christmas. Please join us, cheer on our teams (or be a part of one!). Here’s the info:
12Ks of Christmas
Saturday, December 10, 2011 10am
Freestone District Park, Gilbert Arizona
We need Angels, Captains, and Volunteers!
e-mail AJustice@mtt-WingsofPhoenix.org
Check out the flyer below and visit our website http://mtt-wingsofphoenix.org Read the rest of this entry
