Hero of Hope: Reveca Torres

We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Reveca Torres, the founder of Backbones. The mission of Backbones is to provide free support for people with spinal cord injuries and their familes. Backbones connects people via telephone, in-person, and online meetup-ups and also hosts events where attendees can "ask questions, learn from each other informally, and make lasting friendships." 

Reveca has a truly inspiring story and it was a pleasure to hear it first-hand. Check out our exclusive MFM interivew with Reveca Torres below...

MFM: Can you give us a little background about yourself?

Reveca: I come from a family of 6 kids and we live in the Chicago area. Every year, my family would visit Mexico to see my grandmother and other family.  On New Years Eve when I was only 13, I was injured in a car accident while on our vacation in Mexico. I sustained a C5/C6 spinal cord injury in the accident.

I had always wanted to get into Fashion Design but after my injury, I didn’t think that I could since my injury affects the movement of my hands. One day in high school, I met a teacher who ran a fashion program and I commented that I always wanted to do design but didn’t think it would be possible. She told me she had a sewing machine that can be operated with the push of a button and suggested we meet over lunch. The next day, I had lunch in her classroom and she taught me how to sew - pretty much, I never took a lunch in the cafeteria after that because I would always go to her classroom.  That was amazing for me…it opened up a lot. I realized I could do exactly what I wanted to do; I just needed to adapt.

After high school, I went to school for fashion design. I was the first one at my college with a physical disability to be in that program so they had a lot of learning to do as well, especially with accommodations. In the program, I was able to be a part of the fashion shows, make collections for the shows, participate in design competitions, and it made me feel really good. I was competing with other people who were excellent designers and I felt like I was doing exactly what I wanted to do, and I was doing it well.

I also got to go to Paris with the program which was something so eye opening for me because I hadn’t traveled much after my injury. People initially said “no” about me going to Paris, but I refused to accept that. I did research and found it was possible and didn’t stop until it happened. Paris was a place I always wanted to visit to see the fashion and art. After Paris, I was like, “okay…I can do this.” I got the travel bug and I ended up doing another exchange program in England for performance art. The program was with Mobility International USA, which takes students with disabilities abroad to give them experiences of travelling. Going to England was the first time I had really traveled on my own, I found a caregiver that wasn’t family, which was a first for me as well. I learned so much about myself in England… about independence and being in charge of my own care. I came back from the trip and knew I could do anything. I knew I could go away, live on my own, and live independently.

MFM: Can you tell us about your non-profit, Backbones, and how it got started? 

Reveca: Backbones has been sort of an accumulation of everything I’ve learned along the way working for different non-profits. It was started because I was fundraising to get some money to go to Project Walk, a recovery center in California for people with spinal cord injuries. Going to Project Walk was not something that was covered by insurance so friends and family helped me raise money.  We named our fundraising campaign Backbones because we wanted something that stands for strength and support.

After the campaign, I was thinking about how much it helped me to meet other people with spinal cord injuries – people I didn’t really meet until college and after. It made a big difference knowing others that were going through the same thing I was; finding out about the sports they played, the way they transfer in and out of their chair and all the things you don’t learn in rehab or from the doctors or therapists. Meeting them made a huge impact on my confidence. I started trying sports, I got a little more comfortable putting my self out there with dating and other things. So we decided to turn Backbones into 1 x 1 peer support to match and connect people up with a similar injury, interests, and backgrounds. Through Backbones, you have someone to talk to and share stories with; you can support each other.

MFM: I see you were just in NYC with Backbones, what was going on there?

Reveca: We were just in Manhattan exhibiting “Reinventing the Wheel” a project that has been in the back of my mind since the beginning and has evolved all along the way. With our fundraising campaign, we wanted positive and encouraging images of people with spinal cord injuries on the website. We did a Google search and there were all these images up there of people with injuries being either really sick and depressed or with their arms up in the air and the sunset in the background. Neither of these are real.  A few photographers donated their time to help us create the images we wanted. It really stuck in my head that there are no real images out there. When I started working with the National Museum of Health and Medicine on some disability related exhibits, they got really excited about what I was doing with the pictures. We started researching, found friends of friends, hired some photographers on Craigslist, and found people from all over the country with injuries, some of whom I haven’t even met yet. Reinventing the Wheel launched in the Summer of 2013 with 21 stories of individuals told through over 150 real images. The project is based in Chicago and so far we have been to NYC, with plans to go to LA, San Francisco, Portland, Salt Lake City, and more. I’m hoping to hit the cities where each of the 21 individuals featured lives. 

MFM: Running Backbones must keep you busy, when you have free time, what do you like to do?

Reveca: I’m really, really into yoga. For a lot of reasons I feel like it has changed my life, physically and emotionally. I started it around the same time I started Backbones and it’s really made a big difference in how I feel. I also love sewing, drawing and painting. Pretty much anything that’s artsy, I like to do.

MFM: After the accident, what was one of the biggest challenges you faced and how did you overcome it? 

Reveca: After the accident, what was hardest was coming home after 4 months in the hospital. In the hospital, you’re focused on rehab and everything else that’s going on. Going home, it was difficult being in my environment that I was so familiar with and that was now completely different. That was the biggest adjustment initially. Along the way, I kept growing and learning to adapt. There are always times that are tough but I had family and friends that made that transitions a bit easier.

However, I do wish I had someone closer in age to me who had gone through the same thing…someone who understood and could answer the questions I had. I did get introduced to others through the hospital, but a lot of people who have SCI are men and a lot older than 13 so it wasn’t always a great match. I recall one gentleman in his late 50s that came to visit me and, although he was very nice and helpful, there wasn’t much I had in common with him. This is a gap Backbones is trying to fill.

MFM: What advice would you give someone who has sustained a traumatic injury?

Reveca: My advice is to seek out others with injuries and learn as much as you can. I always had the support from family and friends but, at first, I denied that I was a person with a disability. I didn’t want to accept it or associate myself with it. When I did start meeting others though, it was such a great experience and made me feel so much better.

MFM: Who is your Hero of Hope and how has he/she impacted you?

Reveca: There are people all along the way in life that are heroes; they may not be “heroes” in the traditional sense, but they make a big impact in your life. There are a few people I’d consider my Heroes of Hope. First, my family has always has been there and has never treated me any differently because of what happened. I was still expected to go to school, get an education, get a job and do all the same things as my other siblings. Having that not change is something that has really played a big role in my life.

Second, the teacher I mentioned earlier that taught me how to sew has definitely been a hero along the way. It was a scary thing for me to start a non-profit. My background is in the arts and I was scared I wouldn’t have the time to do my art artwork, make clothing, make designs, and so on. I went to her in tears because I wasn’t sure what to do and she said, “You’re a creative person and you’re going to bring your creativity to whatever you do. You have the opportunity here to use arts and creative outlets to give it meaning.” Listening to her, I was like, “You’re right!”

Next, a friend with an organization called Imerman Angels has been such a guide, especially with how to run a non- profit. I went to a fashion show once which actually turned out to be a benefit for Immerman Angels. I got a card there and read how they pair up cancer fighters with cancer survivors of similar ages. I went on the website and was obsessed with the organization and thought it would be a great model for people with SCI too. For 3 months I was obsessed with the site and the concept. Finally, I got the courage to give Immerman a call and he was so helpful and really encouraged me to start Backbones.

MFM: What's your favorite quote?

Reveca: I heard this quote in a movie once and I immediately wrote it down: “You still are what you have lost.”

After an injury, it’s easy to think, “I used to be this or I used to be that…” There’s a big feeling of loss. This quote though reassures you that you are still that person, you still experienced those things, and you still can experience those things. I used to be a runner and I am still a runner. I used to be a dancer and I am still a dancer. And it makes me feel good to know that.

MFM: What's your favorite food?

Reveca: Well I love Mexican food and Thai food. My favorite are these things called “sopes.”  They’re made from the same kind of dough as a tortilla and it’s a little dish with beans, chickens, hot sauce, salsa and all sorts of yummy stuff on it.

MFM: Cubs or White Sox?

Reveca: Cubs. I have a big family and while all my brothers are White Sox fans, me and my sister are Cubs fans because we like their uniforms better…I suppose that’s the fashion designer in me!

MFM: Do you have a book you would recommend for us?

Reveca: The last book I read was by a friend of mine named Jerry McGill. It’s called “Dear Marcus: A Letter to the Man Who Shot Me.” When Jerry was 13 years old, he was shot on New Years and sustained a spinal cord injury. They never caught the guy who shot him. I’ve been friends with him for years but I never really knew his story until the book. Reading it, I realized we have a lot of similarities - I was also injured at 13 years old on New Years… the accident happened because another car pushed ours off the road but they drove away so I’ll never know who it was either.

MFM: What song/band is most played on your iTunes?

Reveca: This is a hard one because I love music. I think I would say the most played is “ The Avett Brothers.” They play a bluegrassy type of music.

MFM: What's the best way for our readers to learn more & stay in contact with you and Backbones?

Reveca: Through our website (backbonesonline.com) and social media, a lot of our communication happens through Facebook and Twitter. Our webpage has info on upcoming events in different cities. We also feature stories, newsletters, and all sorts of fun stuff for people to read.