In September of 2015, I was involved in a serious car accident. The vehicle I was traveling in went through a stop sign, hitting a telephone pole going 60 mph. The passenger in the back of the vehicle, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrust forward into my back. The result, a broken C1 vertebrae and spinal cord injury at my C4.
After being life-flighted to MetroHealth Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, I spent three weeks in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). During this time, my neck was placed in a titanium cage and I was given a tracheostomy, thanks to two collapsed lungs. Once stable, I was transferred to MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute [1], where I would spend the next three months.
The next year was spent in a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF), a step-down, sub-acute facility providing rehabilitation to individuals with neurological injuries. While this was the worst part of the journey for me, I was supported by my mom, who was always by my side. Additionally, I had an occupational therapist who was previously employed by MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute. Both made the year-long stay sustainable.
In addition to receiving rehab at the SNF, my time was also spent preparing to leave the SNF and resume life as I knew it. Prior to my accident, at the age of 25, I had built a home and started a successful technology business. With the help of my mom, a support team, and adaptive technologies (voice and eye tracking to use my computer), I was able to keep my business running while away with the help of my office manager and secondary set of hands, Paula Halford. She has been with me prior to my accident and since my return to the business world. She continues to help me grow the business. The end goal was to return to my own home and continue running my own business. Medicaid did not agree.
The challenges I faced with Medicaid were unyielding. Receiving support from caregivers in my own home was very important to me, however Medicaid wanted me to get rid of all my assets. Additionally, Jobs and Family Services did not want me to come home, where I would be living alone. While I attempted to retain private insurance for as long as possible, I was told by my social worker that due to the level of my injury, Medicaid was a must. Through fundraising efforts of family and friends, I was able to hire a Medicaid attorney who provided the legal advice I needed to go home. Through new programs like Medicaid buy-in [2] I am able to own a business, make an income, and still receive medical benefits. I returned home 15 months after my car accident.
Returning home meant making my house accessible. As my line of work is technology, I immediately began modifying my house to use every technology option I could. I set up smart lights and outlets and designed custom programming to control my television and cameras. Additionally, I built a personalized computer set-up using a QuadStick controller, enabling me to control over 150 computers at the click of a button. These technologies have given me access to resources such as Google Calendar and Drives, which allow me to manage business and personal schedules while also being able to socialize with friends through video games. The ability to regain independence and stay connected to people in my life has been remarkable.
To learn more about my personal technology setup, click here to view the MetroHealth Annual Spinal Cord Injury Forum Presentation.
Throughout the struggles that come with spinal cord injury, I have been supported by many people in various ways. My girlfriend Jess came into my life with amazing timing. We met during my stay at the SNF and found we had common interests, goals and values, as well as both going through life changing events. As an experienced nurse, she has provided tremendous care, while also helping me to learn “my new body.” With her assistance, we were able to get my household set up and running in an orderly fashion much like a care facility. We now have created a documented pathway for independent providers to get signed up through Medicaid, written guides on how to complete the required paperwork, documenting with custom notes, and ordering supplies and medicine. I constantly have to remind myself that I am very lucky to have someone in my life that cares about me and has that amount of medical knowledge. Jess has reduced the amount of stress I have endured throughout this entire journey and for that I am eternally grateful. My mom has been by my side the entire way. From researching the best rehab care, to helping keep the business alive and growing and now serving as a Board Member for my non-profit, her constant love and encouragement has been tremendous. My “hit the pavement” people are my friends and family. As I shared earlier, they fundraised on my behalf to ensure that I was receiving the best legal advice I could. Additionally, they built a ramp at my home and installed all of my technologies.
Today, I run a successful business that continues to grow while also focusing on my non-profit, helping people with disabilities.
[1] One of the nation’s first hospitals dedicated solely to rehabilitation, the mission of MetroHealth Rehabilitation Institute is to restore function, social participation and quality of life to persons with significant disabilities.
[2] Medicaid Buy-In for Workers with Disabilities (MBIWD) is an Ohio Medicaid program that provides health care coverage to working Ohioans with disabilities.