Honoring The Superstars Among Us Living With Disability

We recently read an article and watched a video about an inspiring college student living with disability, Samuel Habib. He’s in search of role models – including powerful disability advocates -- for how to enjoy the fullest, richest life while living with disability.

Samuel’s story moved us so much that it inspired us to dedicate this blog post to disability superstars/health warriors -- individuals living with disability who are thriving vs. just surviving with disability – something we hope for all of those living with disability or chronic illness. And, while we will be featuring a few superstars whom we learned about recently via online or other forms of media coverage, we believe that each and every individual who makes each day the best possible one – despite the challenges imposed by their particular disability or chronic illness – is a superstar.

We also remind readers that disabilities can be both physical and mental, and since the month we’re writing this (June) is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month, we’ve included an individual struggling with Lewy Body Disease (LBD) – while its origins are physical, LBD impacts most individuals living with it, both physically and mentally – often causing dementia.

Physical Health Disability Superstars

Adrianne Haslet

An amputee survivor of the Boston Marathon bombings, Adrianne is “a fierce advocate for amputee rights” according to her website. She refused to let her love and dreams of dancing be stomped out by her disability and engages in a number of activities to encourage and support others living with disability.

Olivia Lewis

A stroke and locked-in-syndrome survivor, Olivia is wrapping up her college studies while launching “a nonprofit called New Brain Foundation to spread awareness around young strokes and brain injury while simultaneously speaking for those who have been silenced due to the trauma to their brain.”

Andrea Peet

An individual living with ALS, Andrea has set and achieved a goal of riding a recumbent bike in a marathon in each of our 50 U.S. states. By doing so, Amanda has both created greater awareness of ALS and raised funds to support others battling ALS.

Mental Health Disability Superstars

Curry Whisenhunt

The creator of a podcast for individuals living with Lewy Body Disease/Dementia, Curry also administers a Facebook Group and a virtual support group for individuals living with LBD and their caregivers.

Websites Devoted To Giving Those Living With Disability Or Chronic Illness A Voice

As mentioned above, because there are so many of them, we can’t begin to list and tell the stories of all those living with disability or chronic illness who strive to inspire others, live their best possible life within the constraints imposed by their disability or illness, and/or advocate and fundraise for others living with similar disabilities or illnesses. Fortunately, there are numerous sites and nonprofits who make it their mission to provide an opportunity for disability superstars/health warriors to read the stories of fellow superstars and warriors or share their own! Some of our favorites include:

• Our Heart Speaks – https://ourheartspeaks.org.

• The Mighty - https://themighty.com/

• Spoonies Author Network https://spoonieauthorsnetwork.com/submissions/

Helping Customers Achieve Their Best Quality Life Is Our Mission

The team of disability & aging in place experts and durable medical specialists at Lift & Care Systems has been helping individuals living with disability in MA, CT, and RI enjoy the best quality of life and greater independence for almost 30 years. Our skilled team can install and teach you how to correctly use one or several of the following types of products that help both seniors and disabled individuals enjoy more freedom and a higher quality of life: ceiling lifts, body support & slings, staircase lift chairs, wheelchair ramps, bathroom safety for seniors, mobile lifts, pool lifts, vertical platform lifts, accessible showers, wall-to-wall patient lifts.

 Contact us today for a free consultation about how we can help you and your loved one related to accessibility and safety durable medical equipment (DME) needs.