When people experience any form of injury or illness, it is only natural to wonder what other people before you have done, how they’ve coped and how they live now following their illness. How has it affected their lives? What has changed? This article will give you some ideas of inspiration spinal cord injury blogs, from the very people who lived it, survived it and continue to thrive each day.Not only can these spinal cord injury blogs be a great learning resource for you, but some can give you just a little motivation and hope in moments where you may have trouble finding it.
SCI Charities and Organizations
Help Hope Live // @HelpHopeLiveOrg
This organization is a nonprofit funding solution, who help support those in need of help with medical fees. Supporting community-based fundraising efforts, they help people with unmet medical and related expenses, including spinal cord injuries and other major illnesses. Even if you have medical insurance, such traumatic events such as a spinal cord injury can be a financial crisis also, not just a crisis of health. If you are without insurance, these bills alone can be overwhelming and devastating, without even regarding the injury and implications this has on the patient’s life. The Help Hope Live blog features a combination of informative articles, some which are great learning tools, and some that give hope and inspiration that life goes on, so keep on going!
The Christopher Reeve Foundation // @ReeveFoundation
Bursting with the sense of community, this well known foundation’s blog represents a wide variety of community members, and welcomes them to join in meaningful and inspirational conversations. Whether you are looking for information about treatment, relationships, wheelchair brands, or anything else, this is the perfect platform in which to open up and ask questions of your peers. This blog allows comments, so you can chip in with helpful tips and advice, which are helpful to others, and serve as an invaluable healing and recovery tool for you. Teaching others to be hopeful is not only inspiration for them, but teaches yourself that you’re stronger than you think.
Facing Disability // @FaceDisability
This website and movement was created specifically to connect families who have experienced spinal cord injuries to foster a sense of community and mutual respect for those who have ‘been there’ and ‘done that’. The website boasts a large collection of experiences and knowledge on the questions patients want to know, and maybe some answers to questions they didn’t yet know they had! Created through a traumatic experience, the website aims to work as a core support system, not for solely patients, but for their families and friends who may be struggling to face disability. Their blog features a great selection of multimedia articles, such as written accounts, video interviews and more, and covers many aspects of spinal cord injury and disability. If you have family who could do with some further support, this blog is the one for them.
SPINALPedia // @SPINALpedia
Just as its name would imply, this organization has collected a wealth of videos with encouraging and useful messages from spinal cord injury survivors. Most of the videos are uploaded by the users themselves and provide stories, tips, and everything in between. Much like a social network, the highly engaged users can like, comment on, and share the posts - creating a true community of SCI survivors.
Personal SCI Blogs
Nathan Kirwan’s Recovery Blog
A personal account of spinal cord injury and recovery is exactly what Nathan’s recovery blog offers to readers. A very honest and relatable blog, it details everyday aspects in his life, and you can bet you’ll find something to relate to in your own life from the blog. Sometimes people can skip some parts of life when writing a SCI recovery blog, because not all readers can handle hearing about the often painful and frustrating challenges it brings. But not this one! Nathan reveals parts of his personal life, recounts stories about his ‘half deaf Mum’ and daily challenges he faces (and beats!) with refreshing honesty.
Arash Recovery // @ArashRecovery
This truly inspirational guy provides readers with honest words about his life, his traumatic injury, and how this has challenged and changed him for the better. Living 30 years before experiencing SCI, this very active and aspirational young man was an athlete, a traveller, and lover of life. His blog follows his daily life, and his daily wins against his spinal cord injury. What really sets this blog apart from others is the obvious lust for life Arash possesses, and his enthusiasm to appreciate everything that comes his way, SCI or not.
Perhaps especially inspirational for men, and those who suffered SCI later in life, this positive blog provides perspective from someone who knows, who has suffered the same challenges as you, and who wants to succeed at life after SCI like you.
April Otwell // @AprilOtwell and her blog, Defying Paralysis
This amazing young woman suffered a dramatic and life-changing injury when she was fourteen, and has since faced and conquered many challenges on her way to recovery. April is a figurehead for all young people, especially women, who believe paralysis is simply another challenge to be beaten, and boy is she passionate about inspiring others!
April’s website, and her blog, are filled with inspirational articles and blogs that will fill any SCI survivor with hope, that one day SCI cures will exist, but in the meantime, how to enjoy and make the most of life.
Hospital Blogs About SCI
Shepherd Center blog // @ShepherdCenter
The Shepherd Center is a nonprofit hospital which specializes in treating patients of spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. This website and blog provides you with a great learning tool, and is good for those who wish to learn more about SCI as a general topic. It is thought that part of your recovery is to learn as much as possible about your condition to feel ownership over your treatment and be able to communicate with medical professionals about your care. This informative blog not only features patients and ways they are inspiring change and hope within the SCI community, but about medical advances and technology in regards to spinal cord injuries.
The Craig Hospital blog // @CraigHospital
The world renowned center for rehabilitation and research pioneers new and exciting methods of rehabilitation for patients with both spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries. Offering both in and outpatient facilities which spans acute, short-term and long-term care, this hospital successfully creates a casual atmosphere that deals in solutions and returning people back to their lives following injury. Their blog pays homage to their past and present patients, staff and alumni who have achieved great things, especially their patients who overcome even the most dramatic injuries and resume normal life.
Spinal Cord Injury Blogs Offer Hope and Support
Spinal cord injury blogs are a great resource because reading the words of others can help you realize that you are not alone. Whether you’re a spinal cord injury patient yourself, or the spouse or family member of a patient, know that you can find comfort in the words of those who have gone before you; those who have faced the same challenges and come out the other end fighting!
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