Wheel Stories Abby Banks

Andrew Skinner joins Wheel Stories for episode 21.  Andrew sustained a spinal cord injury in a freak snowboarding accident in 2004. He is a recovering quadriplegic, husband to Kirsten, dad to Betty, and the founder of the Triumph Foundation. The Triumph Foundation exist to help individuals triumph over spinal cord injuries and disorders. The Triumph Foundation has given out over 2,000 Care Baskets for the newly injured in Southern California and touched the lives of more than 5,000 individuals with disabilities.
In this episode Andrew and I chat about:
Living Life with a Purpose SCI Rehabilitation Returning to the Workforce with a Disability Living an Active Lifestyle after a Spinal Cord Injury Peer Support for the Newly Injured COVID-19 and Social Distancing Grants & Equipment Adaptive Sports and Recreation WCMX Andrew's Wheelchair: Box Wheelchair
Making Andrew's Life Easier: E-Motion Power Assist Wheels 
Follow the Triumph Foundation: @triumphfoundation on Instagram
Contact the Triumph Foundation: info@triumph-foundation.org
Triumph Foundation
Employment Achievement Award Grant
Connect with Wheel Stories: @wheelstoriespodcast on Facebook & Instagram
Sponsor: Salty Britches / WHEELSTORIES20 at checkout for 20% off your order

Sharon McKeeman joins Wheel Stories for episode 20. Sharon is a mama of four, military wife, wheelchair user, adaptive athlete, writer, educator, and photographer. In 2018 compartment syndrome caused paralysis in Sharon’s left leg. For Sharon adapting means acknowledging challenges while also celebrating how good life is even when it looks drastically different.
In this episode Sharon and I chat about:
Finding treasures in difficult circumstances Finding your voice Accessibility Parenting Traveling Solo Adaptive Sports Challenged Athletes Foundation   
Sharon's Wheelchair: Quickie
Making Sharon's Life Easier: Sidestix Crutches 
Follow Sharon: @sharonmckeeman on Instagram
Sharon's Website
Sharon's Blog
Connect with Wheel Stories: @wheelstoriespodcast on Facebook & Instagram
Sponsor: Salty Britches / WHEELSTORIES20 at checkout for 20% off your order
Support Team Reeve: Abby's Team Reeve Fundraising Page

Rachel Scott joins Wheel Stories for episode 19. Rachel is a mother of five, a former middle school math teacher, a marathon runner, and a connoisseur of seltzer and tacos. Most recently she's found herself in a new role: a special needs mom. Her second son was diagnosed with Acute Flaccid Myelitis, a polio-like, paralyzing disease in 2016. Since then, she's become an expert on all things Braden and an advocate for the AFM community.
 
In this episode Rachel and I talk about:
Acute Flaccid Myelitis Our enneagram numbers Enjoying Disney with kids with a disability Special needs parenting Managing chaos Advocating for a rare disease Why you need to wash your hands  
Braden’s Wheelchair:  Permobil K300 
Making Rachel’s Life Easier:  Uber 
Follow Rachel: Instagram @greatscott
Follow Braden: Team Braden Luke 
Learn more about AFM: Acute Flaccid Myelitis Association  
Connect with Wheel Stories: @wheelstoriespodcast on Facebook & Instagram
Sponsor: Salty Britches / WHEELSTORIES20 at checkout for 20% off your order

February 29, 2020 is Rare Disease Day, and we’re taking a deep dive into why it matters in episode 18. There are more than 7,000 rare diseases affecting between 25-30 million Americans, and we’re talking about why awareness matters.
Learn more about Rare Disease Day: https://rarediseaseday.org/ 
Connect with Wheel Stories: @wheelstoriespodcast on Facebook & Instagram
Sponsor: http://www.getsaltybritches.com / WHEELSTORIES20 at checkout for 20% off your order

Brandon Mantz joins Wheel Stories for episode 17. Brandon is a T9 paraplegic from a spinal cord injury he sustained in a skiing accident in December 2018. Originally from Wisconsin, Brandon resides in Denver, CO where he has spent the last year adjusting to a new normal. He lives his life around four main pillars: love, generosity, adventure, and joy. Brandon is newly engaged and loves to find ways to continue the active lifestyle he’s always known. Brandon takes part in adaptive CrossFit, off-road handcycling, and nordic skiing. He volunteers with the Generous Coffee Company that supports nonprofits and seeks to create and multiply good in the world.
Brandon’s Wheelchair:  TiLite TR/ https://permobilus.com/product/tr/
Making Brandon’s Life Easier:  FreeWheel / https://www.gofreewheel.com/
Follow Brandon: Instagram @bmantz3
Connect with Wheel Stories: @wheelstoriespodcast on Facebook & Instagram
Sponsor: http://www.getsaltybritches.com / WHEELSTORIES20 at checkout for 20% off your order

Kelly Lamb joins Wheel Stories for episode 16. Kelly is the manager of Team Reeve for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. She first became involved with Team Reeve after her boyfriend, Jon David, sustained a C5 spinal cord injury from diving into shallow water in 2013. He was living in Arkansas, and she was in New York City at the time. She was looking for a tangible way to contribute to his recovery and also find a coping mechanism for their new reality when she decided to run and fundraise for her first marathon with Team Reeve. To date, Kelly has run 6 marathons for Team Reeve and raised over $90,000 in donations for spinal cord research due to very generous friends, family, and complete strangers. She was so thrilled to be offered the full time Team Reeve manager last February. Kelly resides in Little Rock, AR where she and JD live with two silly dogs and two very affectionate cats.
JD’s Wheelchair: Permobil M3 / http://permobilus.com/product/m3-corpus/
Making Kelly and JD’s Life Easier: Tempur-Pedic Adjustable Bed / https://www.tempurpedic.com/bases-and-foundations/
Contact Kelly Lamb: klamb@christopherreeve.org
Join Team Reeve: https://www.christopherreeve.org/get-involved/fundraise-with-team-reeve
Follow Team Reeve: @teamreeve on Instagram
Follow Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation: @reevefoundation
Paralysis Resource Center: https://www.christopherreeve.org/living-with-paralysis/about-the-paralysis-resource-center
Connect with Wheel Stories: @wheelstoriespodcast on Facebook & Instagram
Sponsor: https://getsaltybritches.com/ / WHEELSTORIES20 at checkout for 20% off your order