Today I had the pleasure of presenting on a person, who I have had great respect for since I learned about her a few years ago. Her name is Joni Earekson Tada and she is a quadriplegic (now called tetraplegia). Joni was injured in a diving accident and severed her spinal cord at the C4/C5 vertebra. She was 17 years old at the time and in that moment her life changed forever. Because of her severe injury, http://www.joniandfriends.org/jonis-corner/jonis-bio/
Joni lost the use and feeling of her legs, arms, and hands and was left in a wheelchair. Obviously, this drastically changed her daily routine and occupational abilities. OT's began working with Joni during her rehabilitation and really focused in on helping her to re-discover meaningful activities to her life. One of these was learning how to paint with an adaptive tool called a mouth stick. Using this mouth stick Joni was able to learn how to write, paint and type, something that she described as "enormously satisfying and productive. Although Joni still is faced with many challenges on a daily basis, she has a support team made up of two assistants, her husband, and her friends that help and support her. Joni hasn't let quadriplegia slow her down in the least in enjoying her life. She is a well-known painter, the author of over 50 books, and also a grammy-nominated artist for her song "Alone, yet not Alone." She has inspired and impacted millions with her story of hope not because she simply overcame insurmountable odds, but because she still sees her life as full of blessings and opportunities. If you would like to learn more about Joni Eareckson Tada check out her website