Each month, we want to highlight a consumer of AZSCIA, hear their story and read about all the remarkable things they are doing within the community.
This month, we are highlighting Leonard Smith, with Ability360. He is going to tell us about his injury story, challenges he faces living with SCI, and advice he has for individuals who are newly injured. Take a few minutes to read Leonard's inspiring story.
7
CONSUMER
Hello, my name is Leonard Smith. In 1991, I was in a motor vehicle accident at the age of 29 years old. I was married with five children and my wife gave birth to our sixth child a month after my accident. I sustained a spinal cord injury at the C4 level. This central level of the cervical spine contains nerves that run to the diaphragm, which helps us breathe by contracting and pulling air into the lungs. Often times, when someone has suffered a spinal cord injury at the C4 level or higher, they are paralyzed below the injury site and typically will need 24-hour-a-day assistance breathing from a ventilator. I was blessed I did not have to go on a ventilator. Survivors also often experience paralysis, issues controlling bladder or bowel function, and limited range of motion.
O
R
N
E
R
This month, meet...
Leonard Smith