Meet Marlon Jackson, a Man who Refuses to Let Paralysis Slow Him Down

Marlon Jackson (Photo courtesy of ZacharyToday.com)Marlon Jackson of Zachary, Louisiana refuses to be limited by his paralysis. “I never dwell on the few things that my disability doesn’t allow me to do, but instead concentrate on the many things that I can do!” he says. Through the injury he sustained 24 years ago in a severe car accident, Marlon learned that “nothing can hold me back and failure is not an option.” Marlon’s response to his injury has proved what he’s made of. 

Marlon says he “feels the need to help my community, especially other people with disabilities and the elderly,” and he has done just that. He has severed as the Inclusive Education Coordinator for Families Helping Families of Greater Baton Rouge where he helped disabled children and their families access much-needed accommodations. While keeping busy helping his community, he also finds the time to play for the New Orleans Pelicans Wheelchair Basketball team and has even served on the Louisiana State Board of Council for Independent Living.

Marlon is currently a second-year law student at the Southern University Law Center. He chose to purse a career in law “…to become a stronger leader within my community.” With his degree, he plans to use his expertise in the fields of international human rights and disability rights.

Click the below link to read more about this inspiring individual…

ZacharyToday.com: “Law School Prepares Zachary Paraplegic to be Stronger Community Leader.”

"Linking Students and Survivors" - An Introduction to the MIT Brain Trust

For those of you in the Boston area, this is definitely a group worth checking out! MIT Brain Trust, a service organization run by students, aims to provide real-world opportunities to all members of the community living with various brain-related conditions. The organization brings together MIT students and those with neurological impairments by promoting Brain Injury Awareness and hosting various fundraising events and social gatherings. Moreover, it collaborates with the Healing Exchange Brain Trust, a non-profit based in Cambridge that helps patients with brain-conditions communicate with others about brain research and support issues.

One of the primary programs of MIT Brain Trust is the Brain Trust Buddies, a program that enables survivors of brain-conditions and students to enjoy a day together and share their experiences. Activities they participate in include going to the movies, sailing in Boston Harbor, and visiting the museums.  

Another big initiative of the organization is to host lectures by professors, researchers, and patients once per semester. This is a great opportunity to learn more about brain diseases and research. Past topics include Humor and the Brain, Hypnosis, Music and the Brain, Autism, and Epilepsy.

For more information or to get involved, check out their website here:

MIT Brain Trust: Linking Students and Survivors

Introducing the Winners of the Reeve Foundation's 2013 "Best Mom and Dad on Wheels" Contest

Nora with her husband Jesse and children Debi and Owen (Photo Credit: The Reeve Founation)

Nora Boyle, after being secretly nominated by her mother, has been dubbed  by the Reeve Foundation as the 2013 Best Mom on Wheels. When Nora was 16, a car accident paralyzed her from the waist down. Since then, however, she has continued to live an incredibly active life. On top of working as a school Special Education Paraprofessional and raising her two children, ages 10 and 12, she still finds the time to help out with community sales, scouts, and scrapbooking weekends. Seemingly fearless, she’s even been bungee jumping and skydiving! After recognizing Nora, one second grader even exclaimed “You’re not just the Best Mom on Wheels, you’re the best person on wheels!” 

Click here to read more about Nora and her family on the Reeve Foundation's Website... 

Garrett with his wife Robin, and kids Eden, Olivia, and Grayson (Photo Credit: The Reeve Foundation)Much like Nora, the 2013 Best Dad on Wheels, Garrett Laubscher, doesn’t skip a beat. He is the father of three children, ages 7, 9, and 11, and also serves as a youth minister at his local church. After Garrett’s motor vehicle accident that left him paralyzed in 2011, the members of his church rallied to support him just as he had always helped support them over the years. As Garrett describes, “For most of my life I’ve been a pastor and helped people through hard times. This is a time where I had to receive. I can use my story to let people know that it’s okay to invite others in to help them in their life, to walk with them, and carry some of that burden. ”

Click here to read more about Garrett and his family...

There Is Life After Injury, Trauma Survivor Muji Karim Helps Fellow Survivors Cope

Karim meets with Celeste Corcoran, a victim who lost both legs in the Boston Marathon bombings (Photo Credit: Boston Globe)Muji Karim, a 29-year-old former all-star athlete, was seriously injured in a fiery car accident in August 2011. Both of his legs were amputated and most of his left hand was destroyed. Moreover, the injuries to his right arm left him without the full use of any limb. Karim felt extremely depressed and became very quiet until one day George Pessotti entered his intensive-care room at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. Pessotti, now a volunteer, suffered severe burns over most of his body from a kitchen fire in 1979. Encouraged by Pessotti, Karim set out on his recovery. His tenacity became well-known—he ate more protein than doctors ordered to help his body rebuild and doubled prescribed exercises to increase his strength. As a result, he has made great progress. After the Boston Marathon bombing, Muji has served as a mentor to help console victims and he plans to take a peer-counseling course with the Phoenix Society to make his role with the support group official. In giving, he is building his own strength. “It’s making me feel better and more at peace,” Karim said.

Click below to read Chelsea Conaboy’s article in the Boston Globe:

Boston Globe: "Trauma survivor now action as a beacon of inspiration”

The Leveraged Freedom Chair Helps the Disabled in Developing Countries Gain Independence

The Mechanics of the Leveraged Freedom Chair (photo courtesy of the GRIT website)Check out the Global Research Innovation & Technology’s website to see learn about their awesome product, the Leveraged Freedom Chair. With this “mountain bike of wheelchairs,” the team at GRIT aims to help disabled people in developing countries to maneuver through rough terrain.  As the below video mentions, there are 20 million people in developing countries who need a wheelchair. We applaud GRIT and their efforts to help them more effectively and enjoyably live their lives. 

Click the following link for the Global Research Innovation & Technology’s website and check out the video below to see the Leveraged Freedom Chair in action.