23-year-old Zach Schmude never lost a beat after being crushed by a piece of work equipment. His positive attitude carries him to every accomplishment. Pittsburgh-area Zach Schmude was just 23 years old when he decided he would make a career…
When your 14-year-old daughter suffers a severe spinal cord injury, parents pivot to give her the best life possible. It was a week after Claire Senita’s 14th birthday, and to hear her father tell the story, he and his wife, Emily, were chasing around three kids at different…
Our writer braved the friendly transcontinental skies on a flight to Germany. Here’s what she learned! When your son, who has been playing professional ice hockey in Europe with success, decides to Christmas gift you and your husband a two-week,…
How one rock climber found footing in online recovery. “Better we raise our skill than lower the climb,” —Royal Robbins, a pioneer of modern rock climbing. And so it was that Vanessa Cameron, 35, was leading a rock-climbing party of…
Melinda Janosko figured out how to create a semblance of sanity from the chaos of her son’s SCI. Melinda Janosko is, by her own admission, someone who craves normalcy. So, it was with careful planning that, in late 2019, Janosko took leave of…
Amy Brown’s four-year-old suffered a devastating spinal cord injury. Yet she never wavered. In 2009, four-year-old Alex Brown suffered a spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma. Two days later, Alex had a spinal cord stroke. And young mom Amy Brown became more…
Five years after a life-changing bicycle accident, an SCI warrior gains the ultimate independence. Jessica Harris needed to get out of the house. And she did–five years after a freak bicycle accident while on vacation stole her ability to walk.…
Three years after a tree falling accident, one man doesn’t know the meaning of the word “quit.” Gabe Piselli is your quintessential outdoorsman. The 43-year-old father of two young, athletic boys grew up learning “the trades” in his family’s construction…
When someone suffers a spinal cord injury, the devastating physical effects are evident. The mental and emotional ones are not. Tommy Swarts discusses both. In 2008, Tommy Swarts was a 20-year-old software developer, working with clients such as Palm Pilot,…
Nearly a year after his SCI car accident, Allen Daniels sees his misfortune as a way to inspire and educate other drivers. Allen Daniels wheels into the interview with the poise and confidence of a man who knows where he’s…