Life After Paralysis with Tiffiny Carlson

We've featured several people with disabilities who've dedicated their lives to helping the disability community, and Art Aston is one of these selfless individuals. Born with spina bifida in 1981, he grew up in a time when disability awareness was lacking. Fourty years later, he's changing the way the world sees disability through his foundation Our View, a nonprofit that offers workplace disability awareness trainings, educational assemblies as well as builds accessible playgrounds in the New Jersey area. They also sponsor an adaptive baseball league, the Camden County New Jersey Miracle League, that is open to all disabilities, with volunteers available to assist.- Follow Art: https://www.instagram.com/artaston81/- Follow/learn more about Our View: https://our-view.com/

Paralyzed in a motorcycle accident in November 2024, Holden Howell, a 21 year old college student from Ohio, promised his grandma when he got his motorcycle he wouldn't kill himself. So when his injury occurred, Holden was just grateful to survive.Holden is now home, back in college and is on a life mission to make exercise as accessible as possible for people with paraplegia and has created a fully accessible workout routine that can be done in any mainstream gym. His channel is called "One and All Fitness."He discusses his injury, transitioning home, and his passion for accessible fitness in our March 2026 episode.Follow Holden on social media below:- https://www.youtube.com/@OneandAllFitness- https://www.tiktok.com/@howell_holden- https://www.instagram.com/howell_holdenSee past episodes here: https://spinalpedia.com/blog/category/spinalpedia-podcast

Rick Futia was a bodybuilder and that good-looking, popular guy in high school when his entire life changed at the age of 17. The year was 1982, and his journey since that fateful day has been epic. Supported by his large Italian-American family, he refused to stop living life with joy. Rick quickly became notorious for his appearances at clubs and parties throughout San Jose, California, the city where he was born and raised. And he leapt back into dating, realizing women could still see past his injury.Rick's legendary comeback story has been chronicled in a new biography, "Rickicello," written by his nephew Jag Jefferson, who also joins him in this episode.— Buy "Rickicello" and connect: https://rickbio.com/— Watch: Rick Futia's Comeback Story

When you look good, you feel good. Travis Iverson, a C3-5 quadriplegic from Ottawa, Ontario, has enjoyed fashion his entire life. The founder Iver Fashion, Travis created his brand post-injury to bring awareness to the importance of adaptive fashion. On his site you'll find accessible carry all pouches, stylish urine bags with tube covers and shirts and pins with his logo, a red cardinal, as well as his slogan, "Never give up."In this episode, Travis shares his injury story, how he was inspired to start his own business and how he was able to make that a reality with help from local students. Episode runtime is 29 minutes.— Iver Fashion: https://iverfashion.com/— Follow Travis: https://www.instagram.com/iverfashionlifestyle/

Paralyzed at just 9 months old, Alex Jackson, a C5-6 quadriplegic from South Carolina, has lived nearly his entire life from a seated perspective, and that has greatly influenced his advocacy. Becoming both a disability advocate for improved accessibility as well as improved accessible transportation, he also works as a Public Affairs Specialist at Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic.And Alex was also included in SC BIZ Charleston Regional Business Journal’s 2025 "Forty Under 40," which recognizes future leaders in South Carolina under the age of 40. Episode runtime 32 minutes.— Follow Alex on IG: https://www.instagram.com/jalexjackson/— Talk Tuesday with Alex: https://tuesdaytalkwithalex.wordpress.com/

Living in a home that's accessible yet beautiful is one of the many passions of Rosemarie Rossetti, PhD, a universal design consultant and keynote speaker paralyzed since 1998. Not only did she pivot her speaking career after her injury, she became an expert in universal design and built the Universal Design Living Laboratory in Ohio; a home that people can visit and learn about the principals of universal design. Also an author and accessibility consultant, Rosemarie shares her injury story and her professional successes post-injury in this episode.— Visit her site: https://www.rosemariespeaks.com/

Accessible homes don't have to to be out of reach for the average working-class person with a disability. This is the mantra of Angela Fox, a paraplegic since birth, who went on to become a civil rights lawyer and mediator for the FDA after college. During the great recession of 2007, she purchased for first home and made it accessible, and she learned a lot, which she shares in her podcast, "Accessibility Is Home," as well as in her book, "My Blue Front Door." Her podcast is both a podcast and Facebook page to link for realtors, builders, and the disability community. Also a resident of Maryland, she shares home grants and loans available for disabled homeowners.Note: Episode ends abruptly due to Zoom time limit.— Angela's site: Horizontal Houses Hub — 8 Ways Disabled Marylanders Can Buy or Modify a Home in 2025

It's not every day you see an actor with a spinal cord injury on the big screen, but thanks to actors like Danny J, Gomez, a paraplegic from Los Angeles by way of New Orleans, it's becoming more common and that's a great thing for the disability community. In this episode, we chat with Danny not only about his acting career, which began in 2018, just two years after his spinal cord injury, but his journey, including his injury story and how he was able to secure an acting scholarship from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. His acting credits include NBC's "New Amsterdam," "NCIS: Hawai'i," "The Deadline" (a short film) and multiple commercials.He also shares what it's like working on-set in a wheelchair, getting his accessibility needs met, auditioning as someone with a disability and his experiences creating films for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, which highlights shorts made and acted by people with disabilities that challenges disability stereotypes.Episode runtime is 30 minutes.— Follow Danny— The Deadline short film— Rocky Monologue — Easterseals Disability Film Challenge

In this episode, we learn about the world of wheelchair bodybuilding from Genesis Del Bosque, a C5-6 quadriplegic from California. A passionate bodybuilder before his injury, Genesis went right back to doing what he loves within months of his injury. He shares his injury story, how he trains, what he eats and how quadriplegic bodybuilding - for quadriplegics who still have partial arm movement - is becoming bigger than ever. Episode runtime is 30 minutes.— Contact Genesis via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/genesis.delbosque.5

After falling in love with traveling as a child after being taken from hospital to hospital to determine her disability, Renee Bruns, 41, from Atlanta, Georgia, knew it was her destiny to travel the world. Not only has she visited all 7 continents, she also holds the Guinness World Record for the most countries visited in one year by a wheelchair-user (66 countries). Renee shares her story, travel tips for those with mobility challenges, as well as the lessons she's learned from humanity while traveling.— Visit her site: reneebruns.net

Life with a C4-5 spinal cord injury may be challenging, but Ricky Chang, paralyzed since 2008, has been undeterred. After fighting hard for many things after his accident, including getting his driver's license using a modified steering wheel, he shares how he's been able to stay strong over the years thanks to his dry humor and solid friend base. Also interning for NASA in their Communications Department last year while attending VCU, as well as a new grad with a Communications degree, Chang, 35, proves it's never too late to achieve your educational dreams.

Taylor Nichols, a former professional motocross athlete from Texas injured 7 years ago, went on to discover pickleball post-injury. A sport offering both physical and social benefits, he quickly fell in love and was hired by Chicken N Pickle, a national pickleball chain in Texas, Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma that offers free use of two sport wheelchairs at every location, as their National Adaptive Pickleball Coordinator. Chicken N Pickle also offers "Pickleball for All" once a month. Taylor shares both his injury story and his love of pickleball in this episode. Contact Taylor to learn more about adaptive pickleball via the links below. - Taylor on IG - Taylor on Tiktok - Taylor on Youtube- Chicken N Pickle

While the web is full of accessible travel sites today, that wasn't the case in 2006 when Ashley Lyn Olson started her now infamous wheelchair travel site, Wheelchairtraveling.com. Her site is chock full of indispensable accessible travel info from her worldwide travels and her contributors. After becoming paralyzed at 14, travel was Ashley's vessel to freedom and she shares that journey with us, and much more, in this episode. - Follow Ashley on IG: https://www.instagram.com/alo.journey - Visit Wheelchairtraveling: https://wheelchairtraveling.com

Meet Jeffrey Lorenzo Williams, a New York City real estate broker from Harlem who's been injured since he was a teenager in the early 1980s from an accidental shooting. His injury however was simply a catalyst for an amazing life that he shared with us in this uplifting episode. After getting a degree in Criminal Justice, he went on to become a real estate broker, a shoe designer as well as a Business Analyst for Palmolive. Also a father, author and motivational speaker, he is often stopped asking to help someone who may the newly injured and needs to hear from a voice who understands. Jeffrey also shares why trying new adaptive sports and activities is important, like his ride a Polaris Slingshot. — Jeffrey's site — Buy his book, My Feet Are Off the Ground — Jeffrey on IG

Paralyzed for nearly 20 years, Paul LaCorte, a 38 year old paraplegic originally from California now living in Montana, shares his journey since his injury at 18 years old. From pivoting employment goals from auto mechanics to mass communications to teaching himself how to play the guitar post-injury as a form of therapy, Paul is living his life on his own terms. He also shares what it's been like being a father to his daughter Wyld, born in 2017, and how it's changed him for the better. - Official site: Honkydonky & Heartbreaker - Honkydonky & Heartbreaker (Spotify) - Paul on IG

In episode #52, we spoke with the newly paralyzed ShelbyLynn Quintana, injured from transverse myelitis last year. She shares her experience of being undiagnosed for months until a cause of paralysis was found thanks to sharing her story on Tiktok. Also a published poet, ShelbyLynn sheds light on a cause of paralysis that not enough people are aware of in both the lay and medical fields. She also shares her thoughts on wheelchair fashion and reads one of her poems. - ShelbyLyn on IG: https://www.instagram.com/poetry_on_wheels

In episode 51, we spoke with Chris Hrabik, based in a small town in Missouri, who was paralyzed nearly 20 years ago in a car accident at the age of 18. An incomplete quadriplegic, he went on to become a talented metal artist and fabricator as well as a rally racer after his injury. And he has a new project - starting his very own adaptive driving school where anyone no matter their ability (even people who are blind, as they will have a closed 4 mile track) are welcome. — Follow Chris on IG: https://www.instagram.com/crabik713/ — Follow Chris on FB: https://www.facebook.com/UnHolyRoller/

In this episode, we're joined by Shelly Kerschner, a longtime paraplegic who penned the book, "Standing Tall & the Healing Power of Gratitude," after her injury. She shares the importance of gratitude in her life, as well as her other passions, adaptive kayaking and adaptive yoga, and shares her plan to become an adaptive yoga teacher. — Follow Shelly on IG here — Buy her book on Amazon here

In episode 49, we speak with founder of SPINALpedia and creator of Slingshot Golf, Josh Basile, a C4-5 quadriplegic who grew up loving the game of golf. Since standard adaptive golf wasn't a possibility for Josh due to arm mobility limitations, he created Slingshot Golf as a way for anyone to be able to golf no matter their mobility level. In May 2023, Josh was finally able to compete in an adaptive open using Slingshot Golf along with his caddie & golfing partner, Andrew Mitchell. In this episode, they discuss how the game is played and what is was like to compete in their first tournament. — Learn more about Slingshot Golf — Watch Josh and Andrew play

A former high school theater kid and aerobics instructor paralyzed in 1990, Katie Rodriguez Banister has been living life as a C5-6 quadriplegic for over 33 years. Post-injury, she found a passion for speaking and writing about SCI issues like managing/finding caregivers, and during Covid she decided to turn her autobiography into a play with the help of a friend. The end result "ROLL WITH IT! (film) disability, humor, hope and F-bombs" went on to be a hit in the St. Louis theater scene and was nominated for "Best New Play" and Katie also acts in it. The play shares her life's ups and downs and she isn't afraid to speak her mind, swear, talk about sex and more. In our 30 minute conversation, Katie shares what drove her to return to theater nearly 30 years after her injury and her longtime husband Steve makes an appearance as well. Thank you Katie for sharing your story and energy <3 "ROLL WITH IT!" is permanently available to view on Eventbrite for $5 if you use the code "discount 50% off" here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/roll-with-it-film-disability-humor-hope-and-f-bombs-best-new-play-tickets-503707581937?fbclid=IwAR3vxtYWFPuxKe0rghYGKTJYD43_C2ui2X59Cy42lGuqpQN0-maf3ReG43Y Find Katie on social media: https://www.instagram.com/katierodriguezbanister/ https://www.facebook.com/katie.banister

In episode 47, we share a conversation with Gabe Trujillo, a longtime digital producer at 12 News, NBC-affiliate in Phoenix. Gabe became paralyzed at the age of 14 by a rare form of polio, induced by an extreme asthma attack. After finally getting a diagnosis years after his injury, Gabe settled into his new life as a quadriplegic (with arm movement; no hand or leg mobility), and he decided to put all his energy into his studies. Gabe chose journalism as his career path, and the rest as they say is history. Listen in as he shares the interesting odd jobs he had before landing his dream job, and advice for anyone with a disability also interested in the field.  - Gabe's links

In episode 46, we chatted with musical phenom Amy Wang-Hiller, the only professional violinist in the US who uses a wheelchair full-time. She is new to using a wheelchair due to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a condition that affects the collagen in the body and can cause spinal cord injuries. Originally from Shanghai, China, Wang-Hiller moved to the US to pursue her musical studies and now holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts, is a violin teacher and she's a regular orchestra violinist. And after meeting her husband upon moving to the US, Wang-Hiller is also married and lives in Denton, Texas.  - Amy on IG - Amy's official site

A quadriplegic, husband, father and community health worker, Casey Moore from Medford, Oregon shares his story. Paralyzed in 2000 in a diving accident, he was unsure of what life held for him, but he did his best to focus on the positive and pushed ahead, going on to marry the love of his life, having a son without the need of IVF and then finding a purposeful career - helping others with spinal cord injuries by becoming a community health worker. He also shares the awesome activities available at the Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection for those with paralysis living in the area. — Follow Casey on Facebook & IG — Check out the Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection

In our second disability employment success story for National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2022, meet Candis Welch. A lifelong resident of Los Angeles, California with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, she began her career as an Executive Assistant with Issa Rae Productions after graduating with a degree in Journalism. She then pivoted to the public sector, eventually becoming a Procurement Analyst for the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA) and now works in her current position as LAHSA's internal DEI Coordinator.  — Visit Candis' site — Follow Candis on IG

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and this year we will be highlighting a variety of disability employment success stories. Brandon Winfield, founder of the accessibility review app iAccessLife, is first up in our series. Paralyzed at the age of 14 in a motocross accident, he went on to become a self taught QA analyst and an app creator. His app, iAccessLife, lets people review the accessibility of any establishment they visit and is used in 35 countries. — Follow Brandon on IG

Is Zumba a good workout for wheelchair-users? In this episode, we speak with wheelchair Zumba instructor Tennille Houston from Idaho who fills us in on why Zumba is a great workout for those who can't walk. Also married with two teenagers, she became a wheelchair-user over 14 years ago due to pregnancy complications and went on to become a Zumba certified instructor after her injury.  Tennille shares her wheelchair Zumba classes on various platforms. She teaches online classes 3 times a week via Zumba's official site and she has over 150 Zumba workouts for wheelchair-users available on her Youtube channel. She can be found on IG and TikTok as well. Listen via the player below. Episode run-time is 32 minutes. — Tennille's Online Zumba Class Schedule — Tennille's Zumba Youtube Channel — Tennille on TikTok — Tennille on Instagram

Tim Taylor, a C5 quadriplegic from Pennsylvania, has experienced a lot since his injury nearly 20 years ago, and he has a lot to share in this episode. We talk with him about his car accident that resulted in the death of two individuals, how he made it through the depression that followed afterwards and how he ultimately found his calling since he was no longer able to pursue his previous career. From making money on his YouTube channel to flipping vintage items he finds at thrift restores and reselling them on eBay, he has used his business mind to keep himself afloat financially. Tim also shares his first arm contracture surgery experience, which he underwent earlier this year as part of his 2022 year of self improvement. His next goal is getting his driver's license for the first time since his injury. Episode run-time is 32 minutes — Tim's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/timay618 — Tim on IG: https://www.instagram.com/this_is_wheel_life/

We're excited to have Jason Thurston, a C5-6 quadriplegic, back on the show. A wheelchair camping expert who camped alone 4 times last year, he's now the Outreach Coordinator for International Paper John Dillon Park, a free and fully inclusive campground located in New York state in the Adirondack mountains. Injured in 2004 in a diving accident, this former chef had to pivot his professional life and ended up rediscovering his love of the outdoors, something that was important to him as a young man. In this episode, Jason shares the multiple accessible amenities that are available at John Dillon Park, including accessible lean-tos, which are cabins with three walls and and elevated bed that helps him camp independently, as well as the 3+ miles of accessible trails and wheelchair charging stations. He also shares his advice on accessible camping, including his thoughts on the healing power of nature. Episode run-time is 44 minutes. See links below. — International Paper John Dillon Park — The Ultimate Wheelchair Accessible Adirondacks Travel Guide by Cory Lee — Camping By Myself as a Quadriplegic: The Pinnacle of Independence by Jason Thurston — Follow Jason on Instagram

If you're looking for a dose of motivation, this is the podcast episode for you. Injured 5 years ago in a motorcycle accident, Bianca Faith Johnson went on to receive her law degree and is now an assistant college professor as well as an assistant preacher at her church, St. Albans.  To top it off, she's also the newly crowned Ms. Wheelchair New York 2022. Only paralyzed 5 years, how has Bianca been able to find the strength to be so badass? She shares her thoughts on this topic and much more in this latest episode of Life After Paralysis. — Follow Bianca on IG

If you get paid more to pour a cup of coffee at McDonald's than be a caregiver, the system is surely unjust. Kevin Orr, a complete C4-5 quadriplegic from Mississippi and former police officer injured in 2009, has experienced a severe absence of caregivers since the pandemic began (with his mother becoming his full-time caregiver as a result). Tiffiny and Kevin discuss possible solutions to his dilemma, and the greater issue at hand. They also discuss his passion of mouth painting, and how painting objects with drip paint finally got him the attention of buyers. Run-time is 47 minutes. — See Kevin's artwork

In the first episode of 2022, we chat with Natalie Cinman, a passionate home cook and wheelchair-user from Montreal, Quebec. She may not be paralyzed, but she has dozens of amazing tips to share on cooking in a wheelchair. Born with osteogenesis imperfecta, she lives in her forever home with her dream accessible kitchen, along with her husband and fur babies.  Natalie started her growing cooking channel during Covid, and on our show she shares her best tips for cooking in an inaccessible kitchen, easy meals for those just starting to cook, gadgets she swears by and much more (including foodie internet buys like the Always pan). Listen time is 33 minutes - Watch Natalie's cooking videos on Youtube - Follow Natalie on Instagram at QTonWheels

Peter Yeo, a C4 incomplete quadriplegic from British Columbia, Canada, shares the two surgeries that helped him regain movement after his spinal cord injury, including a groundbreaking therapy to treat spasms after maxxing the daily maximum of Baclofen. He was also the first to receive this treatment. And although he still has limited upper-body mobility, the surgeries were able to restore some function he did not have before. Peter also shares the therapy he is doing at Neuromotion Rehabilitation on a weekly basis. Run-time is 25 minutes. If you have any questions about his surgeries, or if would you like to connect with Peter, you can reach him via his Instagram at @pt_hwoarang

Not being able to move just one of her legs is how Melissa Childers, an avid marathon runner and mountain climber, woke up one January morning in 2021. By the day was up, she would be no longer able to move her legs. Diagnosed with a spinal stroke (which can happen to anyone at any time), Melissa has had to figure out life after paralysis this year. She joins Tiffiny to discuss rehab during a pandemic, neuropathic pain and how she's coping, and she also discusses her first trip post-injury to Colorado wand the amazingness of trying an adaptive mountain bike with the Adaptive Sports Center in Crested Butte. Run-time is 22 minutes. - Follow Melissa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melleighc/ - Watch Melissa's videos on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBuWRaCeAZ7e_g6nKnDF0YA/about

Beth Beckley is not your average married lady living life in the Atlanta, Georgia suburbs with her spoiled fur babies (although her dogs are insanely cute). Injured 13 years ago when she was 21, Beth, now a T4 paraplegic, has an appreciative perspective on life. She shares her injury story, how recently lost 40 pounds and how she's forging ahead with a new healthy lifestyle.   Beth also shares how she lost the weight with help from the Shepherd Center, one of the best SCI rehab centers in the US. Married for 10 years, she also talks about how she met her husband on eHarmony as well as how she deals with a less than harmonious mother-in-law. They're also currently trying to get pregnant. Listen to our 25 minute chat with Beth Beckley below. - Watch the video version of this episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb9y4LdgRj4 - Follow Beth on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wheelingwithmebethb/ - Follow Beth on Youtube (she makes DIY crafts): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeR4T7wgd8T0DhmLmHDyE6Q - Read her guest post on our blog, "Guest Post: Life is Still Worth Living" by Beth Beckley, here: https://spinalpedia.com/guest-post-life-is-still-worth-living-by-beth-beckley/ - Shepherd Fitness Center: https://www.shepherd.org/promotion

In Episode 35, we are joined by Ulysses Martin, a 45 year old C3-5 quadriplegic, father and quadriplegic from Florida. A former amateur MMA fighter, minor league football player and actor, Martin was injured in 2018 when he was hit by a SUV while on his motorcycle. He is now striving to walk again and is determined to return to physical therapy to pursue activity-based therapy at Stay In Step in Tampa.. Activity-based therapy is a form of physical therapy where people continue to go for months, even years after their injury and continue to see return through exercises like gait training and vibration therapy. It is expensive and Martin is currently fundraising so he can return. Learn more about Martin and his incredible story below. Run-time is 30 minutes. - Ulysses' site - Follow Ulysses on IG - Donate to his GoFundMe account to help him return to therapy here

In Episode 34, Ernie Johnson, paralyzed as a C4-5 incomplete quadriplegic while playing high school football over 24 years ago, shares his life in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, including his passion for adaptive surfing. Surfing on his belly, he has won a number of adaptive surfing events. From being a wheelchair bodybuilder to a high school basketball coach, Ernie hasn't held back. He's become an advocate for the South Carolina spinal cord injury community as well. Listen to our 27 minute conversation with Ernie below. - Follow Ernie on Instagram at @bigern34 - Adaptive Surf Project in Mrytle Beach

In Episode 33, Ron Trozzi, a C5-6 quadriplegic injured over 43 years ago at 20 years old as an officer in the Coast Guard, shares his spinal cord injury story. A Long Island native, he decided to hightail it to Tucson, Arizona 2 years after his injury so he would no longer be known as the 'wheelchair guy' in the neighborhood where he grew up. He also talks about his love of accessible gardening on his 1 acre hobby farm, including growing organic tomatoes, purple Basil, and much more. Forty years later, he's still enjoying his life on his 1 acre farm, replete with a swimming pool turned into a natural pond and his highly prized organic tomatoes that local restaurants covet. He also shares his secret to staying healthy all these years, and how the lungs are by far the most important organ to keep healthy as a quadriplegic. Ron has been battling a lung infection. Runtime is 31 minutes. Listen below or watch the video version here. - Want to message Rob? Contact Rob via Facebook here

In Episode 32, Tiffiny chats with the very cool Leah B. Rose from Vancouver, British Columbia. After her injury, Leah, a C5-6 complete quadriplegic, discovered a love of empowerment coaching for youth and mothers. She felt the need to help others because of what she learned after her injury (and she also became the owner of two Sphynx/hairless cats). Also giving a shout out to the amazing Rick Hansen Foundation, an organization that helps people with SCI in Canada and worldwide, Leah shares her life with us, including her harrowing injury story. Runtime is 32 minutes. - Follow Leah B. Rose on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/leahb.rose/

In our interview with Scott W. Fedor, a C3 quadriplegic from Ohio, he shares the 5 most important life truths he's learned since breaking his neck in a diving accident 12 years ago. A non-sugar coater, Scott speaks from the soul, sharing awesome tips on how to deal with some of life's biggest blows.  For more on Scott, including where to purchase his book, see the following links: - Scott's book: Head Strong: How a Broken Neck Strengthened My Spirit (available on Amazon) - Scott's nonprofit: Getting Back Up (https://www.gettingbackup.org/) - Scott's website: ScottWFedor.com 

In our first episode of 2021, we speak with Ryan S. Atkins, a C3-4 quadriplegic from Cincinnati, Ohio (and Bengals fan) who was paralyzed in a car accident in 2009.  He has mastered the art of focusing on the here and now and how to balance the reality of being paralyzed and staying positive even he never walks again. Ryan has also published a book called One Step Closer where he shares this much-needed advice with the world. During the show, Ryan also shares his memorable love story with his wife. They met when they were children and reunited after his injury <3 Check out his book here: ReadOneStepCloser.com Check out his IG: @ryansatkins 

In Episode 29, Pt. II of Working After a Spinal Cord Injury,  we chat with Alex, a C4 quadriplegic from Miami injured in 2018, who still works as a real estate agent, and then we speak with Kenneth, a C5 quadriplegic from Colorado. Kenneth was a Walmart store manager for several years and now works for Colorado Cross Disability Coalition - ccdconline.org.

In Episode 29 and for October Disability Employment Awareness Month, we chat with César, a C4 quadriplegic from Tijuana, Mexico, who has his own online business, and we speak with Derek, a C5-6 quadriplegic from Mississippi, who has worked as a financial advisor and many other jobs during his 29 years post-injury. - Check out César's store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/yannichingaz/shop?asc=u - Check out César's article on becoming independent for Audacity Magazine: https://www.audacitymagazine.com/independently-dependent/

In Episode 28 of Life After Paralysis, we interview two paraplegics who've traveled during the COVID-19 pandemic, both traveling to the state of Florida. We first speak with Dick, a 60 something paraplegic injured for over 40 years, who shares his favorite airline right now and his travels in Tampa. Our second guest is Corey, a paraplegic and a seating specialist who is still traveling on the road during the pandemic. He shares his travel advice for road trips, as well an adaptive SCUBA trip he went on with his son. Show run time is 45 minutes.

The spinal cord injury world has been eagerly awaiting some kind of viable treatment, and epidural simulation is finally providing that hope. Case in point Keith Smith. A C4 complete quadriplegic from California, he was chosen to be part of Dr. Susan Harkema's epidural simulation trial at the University of Louisville. Besieged with dangerously low blood pressure, he was considered a viable candidate.  After living in Kentucky for one year after receiving the stimulator, he is now back at home and reports loads of physical improvements including stabilized blood pressure, better bladder and bowel control, the ability to stand and improved sexual function.  Here in his own words how it changed his life in our interview with him.  Episode runtime is 22 minutes.  - Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center: https://louisville.edu/kscirc

In Episode 27, we chat with three people who share their amusing and sometimes frustrating stories of discrimination after becoming disabled. In many cases people just don't understand that our brains aren't affected as well, which leads to some funny stories. We chat with Sean Dineen, a professor with spastic paraplegia, Ken Macdonald, a quadriplegic and former quad rugby player, and Antonia Sinibaldi, a vent-dependent quadriplegic, singer and author. Podcast run-time: 1 hr, 27 mins - Listen/watch Antonia sing: https://www.antoniasinibaldi.com/

In Episode 26, we chat with two more people about quarantining and having a spinal cord injury. Our first guest is Noel Joyce, a paraplegic from Ireland, who is a industrial designer. He shares insight into the designs occurring as a result of COVID-19 and how they benefit people with disabilities. Our second guest is Misty Dawn Piker, a paraplegic and theater usher from Indiana. She too has been home since March and shares how she's been getting everything done while home alone, from getting her mail to her plans for celebrating her birthday later this week. - Follow Misty on Twitter: @mimi_dawn_piker - Follow Noel on Instagram at @noeljoyce

Episode 24: Vent Life In episode 24, we talk to two people with quadriplegia who use a ventilator to breathe. We first speak with Drew Clayborn from Michigan. Injured in high school, he went on to attend the University of Michigan and is the founder of The Drew Crew Charitable Organization. Next, we speak with Loa Griesbach from Washington who's been injured 18 years. She too went on to college shortly after her injury and is an Ambassador for Ventec Life, a ventilator company.  - Follow Drew @drewclayborn - Follow Loa @loagriesbach

In episode 23, we uncover wheelchair life hacks your therapists forgot to tell you about. From the wonders a simple cone can do to prevent parking abuse to a spatula set-up for a C1 quadriplegic that enables independent eating, Tiffiny chats with four guests who share their best tips that have the power to change lives. Guests in this episode are the following: - James Collins: A paraplegic from Hawaii, he shares his cone trick to prevent parking abusers next to his car. - Amir: A paraplegic from Las Vegas, he shares how much a simple reacher from Amazon helps him be independent. He also talks about why he prefers portable hand-controls. - Brandon: A C5 quadriplegic, he talks about how helpful the Voice Control system is on his iPhone. - Tyler Schrenk: A C1 quadriplegic from Washington, he shares his spatula invention so he can eat when he's alone, as well as other cool gadgets he has that he can independently access in his home. To watch the video tour of his home & gadgets, click here: https://spinalpedia.com/video/GBY1XqKXylJ

In episode 22, four people with paralysis share their stories about driving post-injury. They share the adaptive driving programs they use, their fears about driving again, and the technology they use that enables them to drive. Tiffiny talks to Heather Wood, a mom with Guillain-Barré syndrome from Massachusetts, Mike Gerhard, a paraplegic who's been driving for over 20 years from Pennsylvania, Kenneth Folkman, a paraplegic who builds custom VW hand-controls from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Kimberly Ivory, a C7 quadriplegic who just got her license from Houston, Texas.

In episode 21 and the first episode of 2020, Tiffiny is joined by Brandon, a father of 4 who's been injured for only one year following a motorcycle accident and has already been through so much, including depression, a relationship ending and losing his job. He shares his story and how he's making it through this difficult time in his life. We want to give Brandon a HUGE thanks for his story.  He reminds us all that human resiliency is one of the greatest traits of our species.