While sledding, I collided with a friend and broke my C4 vertebrae. Click here to learn more about high level injuries. Upon impact, I was immediately paralyzed in my arms and legs. My friends went into action and covered me with their jackets, which essentially froze my spinal column so I was able to continue breathing. I went to the ER at Scenic Mountain Medical Center, where I was intubated and transferred by ambulance to Midland Memorial Hospital. My battle began with a fight for my life. Even after surgery to try to repair the break in my neck, I had to remain on a ventilator because my breathing still wasn’t stable, so I couldn’t talk or eat.
February 2015
After almost three weeks in ICU at Midland Memorial, I was transferred by plane to TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston. I was inpatient, so I lived in the hospital, and they taught me how to live with my state of paralysis. They provided physical, occupational and emotional support while we tried to figure out our new normal. The ventilator came with it’s own set of challenges. I was able to get a trach so that I could talk and swallow, but my first goal was to wean off the ventilator completely to breath on my own. Tracheostomy tube suctioning was required to keep my airway clear, and I couldn’t leave my room without someone certified to do it. Once I was off the vent, the goal was to get back as much functional movement as possible, but also to learn how to live in my new body.
I met so many other patients and some incredible staff members, some of which ended up being my lifelong friends.
March 2015
One of the hardest parts of my injury was the fact I was missing so much of the “lasts” that come with being a senior. I was able to finish my coursework in the hospital, but I was determined to be able to attend graduation. On May 1st, I was released from TIRR, and we drove the 7 hours home in our new wheelchair van. I was able to go to the playoff baseball game and my senior prom on May 2nd, and a few weeks later I graduated with my friends. After almost 4 months of not being home, I was so glad to be back. However, “home” also wasn’t the same. Our house was not wheelchair accessible, so while it was under construction, I had to sleep in a hospital bed in our laundry room. The bed was too short for my 6’2 frame, and I still had to be turned every two hours to prevent bed sores, so nobody was really sleeping well during the first few months of being back.
May 2015
Before my injury, I didn’t really see myself on a four-year university track, but I knew I would need to be able to have a career. I finished my associates at Howard College, then attended Angelo State University for my Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. At the time, my mom was my full time caregiver, so she also enrolled in classes at Angelo State. We were in online classes and traveled to San Angelo from Big Spring several days a week. I also continued outpatient physical therapy at our local hospital.
During this time, I started working as sports broadcaster for our local radio station, and got to travel and report on high school and college sporting events. I decided I wanted to continue my education and pursue my Masters, so in 2019, I moved to San Angelo with one of my best friends, and started my full time, on campus coursework.
August 2015
2020. We all know what a crazy year this was. I had just moved to Angelo and started my master’s program when the pandemic started. Any sort of respiratory illness can be a major threat to someone with quadriplegia. Difficulty with productive coughing, excessive mucus production, spastic contraction of the abdominal muscles and restricted positions and mobility limitations can lead to increased risk of pneumonia, respiratory failure, and other complications. I had to be extremely careful leaving the house and being around other people. This was just a temporary set back and as the world opened back up, I continued to chase after my next goal. My research started to really open doors that I would have never thought possible.
January 2020
I have one chapter publication titled "Communicating Quadriplegia: An Autoethnography of Disability Perceptions." My thesis is titled "College Students' Perceptions of Sexual Ability in People with Physical Disabilities" and is available via the Angelo State library. This study investigated relationships between implicit bias based on physical ability and beliefs about disabled people's sexuality. My research didn’t stop there, and I’m still working on researching topics including brain and spinal cord injuries, perceptions of disability, longevity in SCI, oral health, and more. In May 2022, I graduated with a Master of Science in Experimental Psychology with an Emphasis in Behavioral Neuroscience.
When I was first injured, my parents were told they should prepare to move me into a long term care facility, that I would have no quality of life, I would never be able to live on my own or have any sort of independence. I come by my tenacity naturally, because that was just not good enough for them or me. Almost 8 years after that initial conversation, I accepted a position at TIRR Memorial Hermann as a research assistant in the SCIDR division, and in January 2023, I bought a house and moved to Houston, Texas. The past year, I have had so many opportunities, but it’s also been a huge learning curve. Aside from respiratory issues, quadriplegics can also suffer bladder complications, temperature regulation issues, muscle spasticity, and autonomic dysreflexia (AD.) AD is a potentially life-threatening syndrome involving an abnormal, overreaction of your autonomic nervous system to painful sensory input. Symptoms of AD present suddenly and include excessive sweating above the level of spinal injury, bradycardia (slower-than-normal heart rate), nausea and vomiting and blurred vision. The first sign of AD is usually a severe, throbbing headache. Obviously being paralyzed from the shoulders down, I also need assistance with eating, opening doors, etc. I have a team of people who help me, including a day time assistant, a live in night assistant, and a nurse who comes to my house several days a week. There is a lot of technology that allows me to do things on my own as well. I use a head mouse for my computer and voice activated systems such as Siri and Alexa. I am greatly appreciative of the support system I have, but my goal is to now gain as much functionality as possible so I can be more and more independent.
I recently took a photography class and some of my photos were part of an exhibition at a gallery. I also work as a freelance consultant, ADA evaluator, and motivational speaker. I am passionate about inspiring others. Whether through therapy, outreach or a professional setting, my goal is to be a tool to help those with barriers to overcome. If you’d like to know more about my services, please click here.
