The power behind paralysis

Title: The power behind paralysis

Type: Essay

Category: Healthcare

Often avoided, they ride in wheels – these are the ones they call, “person with disability”. Society looks at them through different eyes. Others are inspired about their story but for some, they are living frustration.

One of the top reasons of disability is spinal cord injury. It befalls on Christopher Reeves, the 1978 Superman. He fell while horseback riding. It crashed his neck and left his C1-C2 unresponsive. Spinal Cord is labeled in 3 parts; cervical, thoracic, lumbar. Unfortunately for the late Superman, cervical 1-2 control almost the biggest part of mobility. Of course, muscles and its bone structure remain in-tact, but once the nerves connecting them to the brain were damaged, it is called SCI or Spinal Cord Injury. 

This tragedy didn’t stop Superman. In fact, Mr. and Mrs. Reeves raised a foundation that remains today. Christopher and Dana ReevesFoundation helps patients with similar condition to cope up from such life-changing event. Now, it awards grants for chosen beneficiaries and has research programs. They produce wheelchairs and other necessary items too. 

Spinal cord injury can struck anyone. Luckily reeves was financially stable

when it happened. But I wonder about those who live in remote places and got vertebrae hits. One of the leading cause of paralysis in the Philippines is falling from a coconut tree. Take Mindanao’s coconutindustry in for example. Field workers will climb up 80 ft. long tree barefoot. This dangerous job takes more than harvesting for a meal, but also their lives too. 

How can a minimum earner cope up with SCI? On a practical basis, this is what I perceive they would do. The family will assign someone to stay full time beside the patient. Then their children, considering of a school age, will force to labor. The patient could be depressed by sudden unproductiveness and would lower his self-perception. But we can also perceive the heart of a mother trying to lift up her family. She would work overtime and bear all the responsibilities. Until, at last, the patient found his courage to fight back and strive to live again. He stopped regretting about the incident and helps himself up. Alternative livelihood were solely welcomed and he produces at home. So he began to be active in a foundation that understands him well.

Caring for disabled person is a family effort. It will be exhausting at first but with the help of a foundations or non-government organization or the church, the patient can move on. For every superman, there is a kryptonite. But pure love and understanding can make a disable fly.