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Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Awareness Month is observed every September to share information about SCI, promote recovery and rehabilitation, and support individuals and families affected by SCI.
In recognition of SCI Awareness Month, current patients at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab recently shared their top advice following SCI. All of the patients are participating in intensive inpatient rehabilitation to regain their function, abilities and independence — and to return to the lives they love.
Here’s what each patient said they’ve learned about SCI during their recovery journeys at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab:
Mike M.
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“What advice would I give someone with a spinal cord injury? Number one, don’t let it define you. Here at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, they will heal you from the inside out — your mind, your soul and your spirit. Just put in the work.”
Art C.
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“The one thing I know is you never give up. You push yourself, and I promise you your days will get better. You might have a couple of bad days but 20 good ones. Life is not lived one day at a time, but it’s lived over a period of a lifetime. I am going to live mine with this new injury, and I’m going to embrace it. The one thing I’ve learned: don’t quit. Never quit.”
Kyshaun M.
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“My best advice would be to keep going forward. Move onward and upward and don’t let anything get in the way of stopping you.”
Bill W.
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“My main thing I work on is keeping a positive attitude and working hard.”
Reed T.
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“Just keep pushing, keep going to therapy, listen to your therapist and everything will be fine.”
Justin G.
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“What I’ve learned is progress isn’t always on an upward trajectory. Sometimes it has peaks and valleys. You have to see it through because on the other side is recovery.”
About SCI Rehabilitation at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
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Each year, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab treats more patients with SCI than almost any other rehabilitation provider in the world, leading the field in caring for those with a wide range of impairments — from the most complex to the less severe. The hospital’s clinicians bring their skill and expertise to serve patients across the continuum of care. Shirley Ryan AbilityLab has the most board-certified physicians specializing in SCI, as well as the most therapists certified in SCI sub-specialties, such as neurorehabilitation.
