Nancy sustained a spinal cord injury at the age of 18. Later on in life, she started working at Spinal Cord Injury Ontario as an Information and Resource Specialist for the spinal cord injury community. One thing she noticed in talking to so many community members is the fact that during the early stage of their injury, many were searching for a cure, hoping that they could walk again.
In this video, Nancy shares her personal journey about acceptance and how she made peace with her condition and still enjoys life to the fullest as a wheelchair user. From Nancy’s point of view, the key to acceptance is knowledge — having guidance on how to live a post-injury life. Nancy recommends accessing local and online resources for those looking to learn more about living with spinal cord injury.
Spinal Cord Injury Ontario (SCIO) is Ontario’s largest community of experts in spinal cord injury, serving people with all mobility disabilities. We are the primary source of services for individuals and families journeying from injury to achieving their personal life goals. All of our work is grounded in shared lived experiences and strengthened through relevant research, strategic advocacy, and accessible education. Together we connect, support, and empower our community to thrive, bringing visibility and information about living with a disability to the forefront.
Spinal Cord Injury Ontario offers services designed to empower individuals with spinal cord injuries and mobility disabilities. Sometimes all we need is someone who can listen and draw from their own experience as we face a new journey in life. The SCIO Peer Support program matches people who are newly injured, and their family members, to people who have lived experience with a spinal cord injury, and who understand. Service Navigation at SCIO provides you with hands on assistance with navigating community supports and services you need to achieve your goals – whatever they may be, wherever you may live. If you are looking for work, Accessible Employment Services equips you with tools, training, and a robust network to confidently connect with employers. To learn more about SCIO and join the community, visit https://sciontario.org/
UHN Toronto Rehab has developed a collection of educational handouts about spinal cord injury. The education handouts aim to help you during your recovery as you learn to live with your injury. They have helpful information on topics such as self-care, mobility, health, financial services and more. To access the handouts, visit Spinal Cord Essentials here: https://www.uhn.ca/TorontoRehab/Spinal-Cord-Rehab/Spinal-Cord-Essentials/Pages/Handouts.aspx
SCIRE Community provides free information about spinal cord injury research written in everyday language. To access SCIRE Community topics, handouts and community stories, visit https://community.scireproject.com/
Nancy’s story should not be considered a recommendation, guidance, or view or opinion provided by Cortree and Spinal Cord Injury Ontario.
