They give flight to angels in wheelchairs
After the 3 stroke my life felt unbearable. I cried at least once a week and many times wish I had died. My best friend of 30 years saw a segment on Chronicle about an “ability center” in Stratham NH called Project Walk. I’ve been to several physical therapy places. This one is physical therapy on steroids! The owner Jacqueline Arlen , has the most beautiful aura (think Dali Lama) I had a saying from my dad, “the fish rots from the head” in this case the “ the fish illuminates” from the head. There is magic with in those walls. These are all caring and tough kinesiologist. Most clients are either quadriplegic or paraplegic. Kindness and understanding is swirling around and everyone breathes it in. Don’t get me wrong you better want to be there. They work in ways I’ve never seen done before. I would leave there shaking, sore, and exhausted and yet, invigorated. When you suffer a brain injury the damage is usually grave. There is nothing more frustrating than having a part of your body physically, but having no control over what it does. I once asked my neurologist what would happen if we cut off my leg and replaced it with a prosthetic . He said, “ you would just drag around the fake leg” I loved this place and was going back until I got the cancer diagnosis.
You see, the detached insurance companies, make blind decisions on what to pay for. Project walk is unconventional and so it’s a fight for payment. These people should be paid double. I stopped going because of the fight for coverage.
I told Jackie of my diagnosis and she said the most insightful thing: “you are your diagnosis but you are not your prognosis “. Now you can understand why I love her.
We stare at people with disabilities because they are different. We stare at them. We act like there are less that us. In fact they are so much more than we will ever be until we have suffered as they have. They deserve a hero status the next time you encounter someone who is disabled applaud them for staying in the fight
