About Us

At the age of 19, in June of 1989, I found myself wide-eyed and smiling from ear to ear in front of an itinerary of events. Events included water skiing, hot air ballooning, sailing, camping, canoeing, and white water rafting. I began to feel as if I had entered an extreme sports summer camp. I added my name to all these events along with several other not so extreme ones and the fun soon began to unfold. The funny thing about this story is that I was not at an extreme summer camp, but instead had just been admitted to Craig Hospital, a rehab facility for individuals with spinal cord injuries and head trauma.

This part of my life’s story began on the tenth of October 1988 when I was the passenger in an auto accident which left me paralyzed from the upper chest down, with no movement of hands and fingers and only partial use of my arms. The day before my auto crash, my biggest concerns were schoolwork and how well the N.Y. Giants would perform this season. I awoke the next morning almost completely immobilized without so much as the ability to scratch my itchy nose. My questions were endless and most of the answers came from hospital staff that had little information regarding the life of a quadriplegic outside the confines of a hospital.

The rehab process, from the time of my accident to my visit at Craig, was long hard work, but gradually I began to come by answers. By the time I had finished at Craig, I had a new awareness. The most important information I received was that the glass was still more than half full and that despite my new physical considerations, there was so much available to me that the amount of new restrictions was insignificant and that the amount of programs available could keep anyone busy for a lifetime. Beyond Wheels was inspired by my experiences and my desire to share what I’ve learned. Beyond Wheels will provide a hub for information and experience for those with similar questions about employment, education, recreation and lifestyle, to the ones I had after my injury.