Patty
Age: 63
Location: Virginia
Injury or relation:
Spinal cord injury, T3, T4 for 15 years
Hobbies/Interests:
Sewing, reading, researching, being outside, and writing
Why did you become a peer mentor?
Becoming a peer mentor meant supporting others in a similar situation. I became paralyzed later in my life, so I can easily talk to others about my experiences and deficits but I am unable to discuss living with quadriplegia. It’s a scary place when your entire world is suddenly turned upside down and you go from complete independence to suddenly relying on others for basic needs but through physical therapy and much practice, you can find a place of a newfound independence and actually be thrilled that you arrived on your own with minimal assistance from family and friends.
