Life After Paralysis with Tiffiny Carlson

Taylor Nichols, a former professional motocross athlete from Texas injured 7 years ago, went on to discover pickleball post-injury. A sport offering both physical and social benefits, he quickly fell in love and was hired by Chicken N Pickle, a national pickleball chain in Texas, Arizona, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma that offers free use of two sport wheelchairs at every location, as their National Adaptive Pickleball Coordinator.

Chicken N Pickle also offers "Pickleball for All" once a month. Taylor shares both his injury story and his love of pickleball in this episode. Contact Taylor to learn more about adaptive pickleball via the links below.

Meet Jeffrey Lorenzo Williams, a New York City real estate broker from Harlem who's been injured since he was a teenager in the early 1980s from an accidental shooting. His injury however was simply a catalyst for an amazing life that he shared with us in this uplifting episode. After getting a degree in Criminal Justice, he went on to become a real estate broker, a shoe designer as well as a Business Analyst for Palmolive. Also a father, author and motivational speaker, he is often stopped asking to help someone who may the newly injured and needs to hear from a voice who understands. Jeffrey also shares why trying new adaptive sports and activities is important, like his ride a Polaris Slingshot.

Paralyzed for nearly 20 years, Paul LaCorte, a 38 year old paraplegic originally from California now living in Montana, shares his journey since his injury at 18 years old. From pivoting employment goals from auto mechanics to mass communications to teaching himself how to play the guitar post-injury as a form of therapy, Paul is living his life on his own terms. He also shares what it's been like being a father to his daughter Wyld, born in 2017, and how it's changed him for the better.

In episode #52, we spoke with the newly paralyzed ShelbyLynn Quintana, injured from transverse myelitis last year. She shares her experience of being undiagnosed for months until a cause of paralysis was found thanks to sharing her story on Tiktok. Also a published poet, ShelbyLynn sheds light on a cause of paralysis that not enough people are aware of in both the lay and medical fields. She also shares her thoughts on wheelchair fashion and reads one of her poems.

In this episode, we're joined by Shelly Kerschner, a longtime paraplegic who penned the book, "Standing Tall & the Healing Power of Gratitude," after her injury. She shares the importance of gratitude in her life, as well as her other passions, adaptive kayaking and adaptive yoga, and shares her plan to become an adaptive yoga teacher.

In episode 49, we speak with founder of SPINALpedia and creator of Slingshot Golf, Josh Basile, a C4-5 quadriplegic who grew up loving the game of golf. Since standard adaptive golf wasn't a possibility for Josh due to arm mobility limitations, he created Slingshot Golf as a way for anyone to be able to golf no matter their mobility level. In May 2023, Josh was finally able to compete in an adaptive open using Slingshot Golf along with his caddie & golfing partner, Andrew Mitchell. In this episode, they discuss how the game is played and what is was like to compete in their first tournament.

In episode 47, we share a conversation with Gabe Trujillo, a longtime digital producer at 12 News, NBC-affiliate in Phoenix. Gabe became paralyzed at the age of 14 by a rare form of polio, induced by an extreme asthma attack. After finally getting a diagnosis years after his injury, Gabe settled into his new life as a quadriplegic (with arm movement; no hand or leg mobility), and he decided to put all his energy into his studies. Gabe chose journalism as his career path, and the rest as they say is history. Listen in as he shares the interesting odd jobs he had before landing his dream job, and advice for anyone with a disability also interested in the field. 

In episode 46, we chatted with musical phenom Amy Wang-Hiller, the only professional violinist in the US who uses a wheelchair full-time. She is new to using a wheelchair due to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a condition that affects the collagen in the body and can cause spinal cord injuries. Originally from Shanghai, China, Wang-Hiller moved to the US to pursue her musical studies and now holds a Doctorate in Musical Arts, is a violin teacher and she's a regular orchestra violinist. And after meeting her husband upon moving to the US, Wang-Hiller is also married and lives in Denton, Texas. 

A quadriplegic, husband, father and community health worker, Casey Moore from Medford, Oregon shares his story. Paralyzed in 2000 in a diving accident, he was unsure of what life held for him, but he did his best to focus on the positive and pushed ahead, going on to marry the love of his life, having a son without the need of IVF and then finding a purposeful career - helping others with spinal cord injuries by becoming a community health worker. He also shares the awesome activities available at the Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection for those with paralysis living in the area.

In our second disability employment success story for National Disability Employment Awareness Month 2022, meet Candis Welch. A lifelong resident of Los Angeles, California with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, she began her career as an Executive Assistant with Issa Rae Productions after graduating with a degree in Journalism. She then pivoted to the public sector, eventually becoming a Procurement Analyst for the Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority (LAHSA) and now works in her current position as LAHSA's internal DEI Coordinator. 

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and this year we will be highlighting a variety of disability employment success stories. Brandon Winfield, founder of the accessibility review app iAccessLife, is first up in our series. Paralyzed at the age of 14 in a motocross accident, he went on to become a self taught QA analyst and an app creator. His app, iAccessLife, lets people review the accessibility of any establishment they visit and is used in 35 countries.

Is Zumba a good workout for wheelchair-users? In this episode, we speak with wheelchair Zumba instructor Tennille Houston from Idaho who fills us in on why Zumba is a great workout for those who can't walk. Also married with two teenagers, she became a wheelchair-user over 14 years ago due to pregnancy complications and went on to become a Zumba certified instructor after her injury. 

Tennille shares her wheelchair Zumba classes on various platforms. She teaches online classes 3 times a week via Zumba's official site and she has over 150 Zumba workouts for wheelchair-users available on her Youtube channel. She can be found on IG and TikTok as well. Listen via the player below. Episode run-time is 32 minutes.

We're excited to have Jason Thurston, a C5-6 quadriplegic, back on the show. A wheelchair camping expert who camped alone 4 times last year, he's now the Outreach Coordinator for International Paper John Dillon Park, a free and fully inclusive campground located in New York state in the Adirondack mountains. Injured in 2004 in a diving accident, this former chef had to pivot his professional life and ended up rediscovering his love of the outdoors, something that was important to him as a young man.

In this episode, Jason shares the multiple accessible amenities that are available at John Dillon Park, including accessible lean-tos, which are cabins with three walls and and elevated bed that helps him camp independently, as well as the 3+ miles of accessible trails and wheelchair charging stations. He also shares his advice on accessible camping, including his thoughts on the healing power of nature. Episode run-time is 44 minutes. See links below.

If you're looking for a dose of motivation, this is the podcast episode for you. Injured 5 years ago in a motorcycle accident, Bianca Faith Johnson went on to receive her law degree and is now an assistant college professor as well as an assistant preacher at her church, St. Albans. 

To top it off, she's also the newly crowned Ms. Wheelchair New York 2022. Only paralyzed 5 years, how has Bianca been able to find the strength to be so badass? She shares her thoughts on this topic and much more in this latest episode of Life After Paralysis.

If you get paid more to pour a cup of coffee at McDonald's than be a caregiver, the system is surely unjust. Kevin Orr, a complete C4-5 quadriplegic from Mississippi and former police officer injured in 2009, has experienced a severe absence of caregivers since the pandemic began (with his mother becoming his full-time caregiver as a result). Tiffiny and Kevin discuss possible solutions to his dilemma, and the greater issue at hand. They also discuss his passion of mouth painting, and how painting objects with drip paint finally got him the attention of buyers. Run-time is 47 minutes.

In the first episode of 2022, we chat with Natalie Cinman, a passionate home cook and wheelchair-user from Montreal, Quebec. She may not be paralyzed, but she has dozens of amazing tips to share on cooking in a wheelchair. Born with osteogenesis imperfecta, she lives in her forever home with her dream accessible kitchen, along with her husband and fur babies. 

Natalie started her growing cooking channel during Covid, and on our show she shares her best tips for cooking in an inaccessible kitchen, easy meals for those just starting to cook, gadgets she swears by and much more (including foodie internet buys like the Always pan). Listen time is 33 minutes

Peter Yeo, a C4 incomplete quadriplegic from British Columbia, Canada, shares the two surgeries that helped him regain movement after his spinal cord injury, including a groundbreaking therapy to treat spasms after maxxing the daily maximum of Baclofen. He was also the first to receive this treatment. And although he still has limited upper-body mobility, the surgeries were able to restore some function he did not have before. Peter also shares the therapy he is doing at Neuromotion Rehabilitation on a weekly basis. Run-time is 25 minutes.

Not being able to move just one of her legs is how Melissa Childers, an avid marathon runner and mountain climber, woke up one January morning in 2021. By the day was up, she would be no longer able to move her legs. Diagnosed with a spinal stroke (which can happen to anyone at any time), Melissa has had to figure out life after paralysis this year. She joins Tiffiny to discuss rehab during a pandemic, neuropathic pain and how she's coping, and she also discusses her first trip post-injury to Colorado wand the amazingness of trying an adaptive mountain bike with the Adaptive Sports Center in Crested Butte. Run-time is 22 minutes.

In Episode 34, Ernie Johnson, paralyzed as a C4-5 incomplete quadriplegic while playing high school football over 24 years ago, shares his life in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, including his passion for adaptive surfing. Surfing on his belly, he has won a number of adaptive surfing events. From being a wheelchair bodybuilder to a high school basketball coach, Ernie hasn't held back. He's become an advocate for the South Carolina spinal cord injury community as well. Listen to our 27 minute conversation with Ernie below.

In Episode 33, Ron Trozzi, a C5-6 quadriplegic injured over 43 years ago at 20 years old as an officer in the Coast Guard, shares his spinal cord injury story. A Long Island native, he decided to hightail it to Tucson, Arizona 2 years after his injury so he would no longer be known as the 'wheelchair guy' in the neighborhood where he grew up. He also talks about his love of accessible gardening on his 1 acre hobby farm, including growing organic tomatoes, purple Basil, and much more.

Forty years later, he's still enjoying his life on his 1 acre farm, replete with a swimming pool turned into a natural pond and his highly prized organic tomatoes that local restaurants covet. He also shares his secret to staying healthy all these years, and how the lungs are by far the most important organ to keep healthy as a quadriplegic. Ron has been battling a lung infection.

In our interview with Scott W. Fedor, a C3 quadriplegic from Ohio, he shares the 5 most important life truths he's learned since breaking his neck in a diving accident 12 years ago. A non-sugar coater, Scott speaks from the soul, sharing awesome tips on how to deal with some of life's biggest blows. 

For more on Scott, including where to purchase his book, see the following links:

In our first episode of 2021, we speak with Ryan S. Atkins, a C3-4 quadriplegic from Cincinnati, Ohio (and Bengals fan) who was paralyzed in a car accident in 2009.  He has mastered the art of focusing on the here and now and how to balance the reality of being paralyzed and staying positive even he never walks again. Ryan has also published a book called One Step Closer where he shares this much-needed advice with the world.

During the show, Ryan also shares his memorable love story with his wife. They met when they were children and reunited after his injury <3

The spinal cord injury world has been eagerly awaiting some kind of viable treatment, and epidural simulation is finally providing that hope. Case in point Keith Smith. A C4 complete quadriplegic from California, he was chosen to be part of Dr. Susan Harkema's epidural simulation trial at the University of Louisville. Besieged with dangerously low blood pressure, he was considered a viable candidate. 

After living in Kentucky for one year after receiving the stimulator, he is now back at home and reports loads of physical improvements including stabilized blood pressure, better bladder and bowel control, the ability to stand and improved sexual function.  Here in his own words how it changed his life in our interview with him.  Episode runtime is 22 minutes. 

In episode 23, we uncover wheelchair life hacks your therapists forgot to tell you about. From the wonders a simple cone can do to prevent parking abuse to a spatula set-up for a C1 quadriplegic that enables independent eating, Tiffiny chats with four guests who share their best tips that have the power to change lives. Guests in this episode are the following:

- James Collins: A paraplegic from Hawaii, he shares his cone trick to prevent parking abusers next to his car.

- Amir: A paraplegic from Las Vegas, he shares how much a simple reacher from Amazon helps him be independent. He also talks about why he prefers portable hand-controls.

- Brandon: A C5 quadriplegic, he talks about how helpful the Voice Control system is on his iPhone.