Everything Under The Sun: From Life-Changing Disability To Mobility

Kelly Brush, with recent addition, Dylan.

Sometimes a life-altering event comes along that changes a person physically and leaves that person with immense challenges. That happened to Kelly Brush, who was a member of her college ski team. In 2006 she caught an edge on a ski course and crashed into a pylon, leaving her permanently paralyzed from the chest down.

From a life focused on sports and athletics, she had to alter course. Even completing her degree was delayed. But when all is said and done, Ms. Brush has continued to be active athletically, with the help of adaptive equipment, and has a career as a pediatric nurse practitioner.

In addition, she founded the KELLY BRUSH FOUNDATION, an organization dedicated to helping those with spinal cord injuries and to making ski racing safer. Much of the assistance to those with spinal cord injuries is in helping those injured maintain an active lifestyle, especially in various sports activities.

Much of the Foundation's assistance is in the form of grants and equipment for adaptive sports. For this year's spring adaptive sports grants cycle, the Foundation received 102 applications from 31 States, requesting a total value of $461, 496. Of that total, there were 76 recipients from 28 States, with a total value of $127,190 in awards. Some of the equipment that was purchased included handcycles, sports chairs, monoskis, and racing chairs. There were 17 try it out grants, so some applicants could rent the equipment first to see if it meets their needs and then they can apply for the actual equipment grant in the next grant cycle.

There were several new trends that showed up among applicants included younger applicants, children, who were applying after the Foundation had opened grants to those who have paralysis as a result of spina bifida. There have been more applications for sports chairs, as those who participate in basketball, rugby, and tennis, have found out about the grant program. More applicants are better informed and more experienced with the equipment, which they are requesting. There are now more adaptive sports programs and many are interested in developing partnerships.

Most important, though, are the individuals who receive grants. Sadie from North Carolina has had transverse myelitis since the age of three, which has left her paralyzed from the waist down. She has been active with the Charlotte Rollin' Hornets, which is a youth wheelchair basketball team. This year, she is one of two players to be furnished with a sports chair.

Anwesh can now participate on the trail with fellow cyclists due to his grant.

Connor from Colorado was in a ski accident three years ago. He just wanted to enjoy the freedom of being able to ride a bike. He put it this way, "[I wanted to] hop on a bike and go ride and explore [and] to have the freedom to go where I want and be physically active doing it myself." He is the recipient of funds for a handcycle.

Clare from Pennsylvania was injured in a gymnastics accident right after her 14th birthday. Now that she is 23 years old, she wanted a handcycle to be able to just go out on the open road and be by herself, something which she was missing from her days of being able to run. She recently sent the Foundation a thank you note: "Thank you so much for awarding me a grant for a handcycle! I am so incredibly excited."

Kelly trying out one of the newer off-road handcycles.

Adaptive equipment, for someone with a disability, is empowering and enabling. It provides that all-important mobility and says to the recipient, "I am important; I can..."