The Sky's the Limit: Quadriplegia Doesn't Stop Skydiving Enthusiasts

Watch the below video, courtesy of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, to see how Randy Haims, a wheelchair-bound man on a ventilator, made his dream of skydiving a reality. A little disclaimer: While we're not necessarily encouraging you all to go skydiving, we are encouraging you to go out and challenge the limits and make what might seem impossible, possible. 

As fellow skydiving enthusiast Kim Anderson, PhD, says in the video, "You have to get back into life and you have to keep trying. The more you try and the more you prove people wrong, that you can do things, the more satisfaction you feel from that. It's the freedom I've been looking for for the last 15 years that I've been injured."

For more videos on people testing the limits and living their lives, check out the Sports & Recreation section on the Reeve Foundation's website:

http://www.christopherreeve.org/site/c.ddJFKRNoFiG/b.5848659/k.5E06/Reeve_Foundation_Videos.htm

Reeve Health Minutes - Video Tips for Individuals Living with Paralysis

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is an organization “dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information, and advocacy.” In addition to their numerous initiatives and resources is a video series called Reeve Health Minutes. As the website describes, these videos provide “actionable tips for individuals living with paralysis to help them improve their health and wellness.” To check out what this site has to offer, click here: Reeve Health Minutes. Also, to learn more about the Reeve Foundation and how it helps, follow this link to the website’s home page: The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

O.J. Brigance: A Man of Inspiration

As the Baltimore Ravens prepare to take on the San Francisco 49ers tomorrow in Super Bowl XLVII, they’ll find their inspiration in one member of the organization you may not have heard too much about. O.J. Brigance, the Ravens’ Senior Adviser to Player Development, is currently suffering from ALS—also known as Lou Gherig’s disease—but he’s not letting the disease prevent him from making those around him into “better men.” O.J., pictured above with his wife Chanda, can no longer speak and only has movement of his eyes and lips. With the help of a specialized computer that translates his eye movements into words, O.J. is able to communicate with others and continues to work full time with the team.

According to O.J., better known to his teammates as “Juice,” “When people say I inspire them, it encourages me to continue to persevere through this light and momentary trouble. I realize that what I am enduring now is not only for my development but to also be able to help those dealing with the same issues.” Despite the daily challenges he has to overcome, O.J. still feels “…blessed to have the opportunity to serve God in this current state.” On top of his job helping players with whatever issues their dealing with, O.J. strives to help others living with ALS.  Not long after his diagnosis, he founded the Brigance Brigade to provide resources for those with ALS to purchase the expensive equipment they need.

In Coach John Harbhaugh’s words, “[O.J’s] a shining light in the building, and we all definitely are energized by that.” No matter who you want to win tomorrow’s game, we can all root for Brigance and be inspired by his determination to make a difference.

Check out Bob Glauber’s “Newsday” article on Brigance here: “O.J. Brigance inspires Ravens as he battles Lou Gherig’s disease.”