Neuro Note #4: Spinal Cord Injury

   I read a blog post by Elizabeth Forst, "Anything is possible", where she talks about her experience chasing her dreams after a spinal cord injury. In August of 2014 she had a swimming pool diving accident that resulted in C4/C5 injury that led to her having complete quadriplegia. Before the accident she was just weeks away from obtaining her advanced diving certification. While she realized this dream was probably not in the cards anymore, she refused to give up her passion for diving. Just 2 years later in May 2016 she was preparing for her first dive since her injury. Unfortunately, without the use of her arms and legs she cannot dive independently, however she has found ways to adapt the situation to meet her needs and has decided to dive with two trained “buddy divers” who will help her to dive safely. Also, since she cannot use hand signals to indicate distress or to signal “okay”, she has created some of her own signals using her head, eyes and shoulders. 

   I chose to read this because I thought it was really inspiring to see someone has quadriplegia chase such an adventurous dream that even I am terrified to do. Diving can be a dangerous and taxing on a fully able-bodied person and for her to choose to tackle this challenge is truly incredible. I think there is a lot to be learned from Elizabeth’s mentality; she decided to be positive and find new ways to pursue her passions. I would recommend other’s read this because it just goes to show how important to not write people’s abilities off simply due to their diagnosis. Based on what I have learned in my neuro class about C4/C5 spinal cord injuries with complete quadriplegia, I would not typically expect to see that person take a dive into the depths of the ocean, but as she says “anything is possible if you put your mind to it”. As a future OT, I think this is a great example of the importance of the Occupational Profile and the general importance of getting to know your client. Even if two clients have the same diagnosis there abilities, needs, and wants will all be different and it is important to take note of this to help a person feel fulfillment with their life. 

Forst, E. (2016). Anything is possible - Blog. Reeve Foundation. https://www.christopherreeve.org/blog/daily-dose/anything-is-possible-by-elizabeth-forst.