Facing Disability for Families Facing Spinal Cord Injuries

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Facing Disability for Families Facing Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord injury affects the entire family. Our mission is to connect families dealing with paralysis with others just like them.

Like many projects of this nature, FacingDisability.com was born out of personal experience. In the summer of 1986, after diving into a swimming pool, our daughter, Vicki Hill, sustained a neck injury resulting in quadriplegia. During her rehabilitation, Vicki was fortunate to be able to participate in a peer- mentoring program. The program introduced her to other people who had sustained injuries like hers a few years before. They helped her learn how to think about her disability and live with her new body. They offered a lot more than well-meaning help and advice. They were the undeniably believable and unquestionably honest voices of experience. And they were an enormous help. But there was no peer-mentoring program to help her parents, family and friends to deal with the new life situations that they themselves were experiencing as a result of Vicki’s sudden disability. There is still virtually nothing today—no program focused on personally supporting the people around the injured person. What’s more, even today, there are many people with new spinal cord injuries like Vicki’s who are not able to participate in peer-mentoring programs. The lack of such programs is the reason behind FacingDisability.com.

12/31/2025

12/23/2025

After a spinal cord injury, finding information you can trust is not always easy. That is why this page exists.

You’ll hear directly from people living with paralysis, sharing in their own words how they navigate daily life, adapt, and cope, alongside reliable SCI resources you can trust.

We believe real voices matter. We believe accuracy matters. And we believe this information should always be free and accessible.

If you are here to learn, listen, or feel less alone, you are in the right place.

FacingDisability.com offers real-life stories and expert medical videos about living with spinal cord injury.

12/16/2025

From our blog: For people living with spinal cord injuries, service dogs can be life-changing partners contributing to a stronger sense of autonomy and control.

For people living with spinal cord injuries, service dogs can be life-changing partners.

11/25/2025

What does gratitude look like from a C-5/6 quadriplegic’s perspective? Jeff Shannon knew. A veteran writer on disability issues, longtime movie reviewer, and film historian, Jeff shared his honest, thought-provoking voice with FacingDisability.com for years.

In his memory, we’re re-sharing his 2013 Thanksgiving blog post, “Giving Thanks on the 2-for-1 Plan.”

A brilliant Thanksgiving essay by Jeff Shannon, a veteran writer on disability issues, and a regular contributor to FacingDisability.com

11/18/2025

PODCAST: When a loved one sustained a spinal cord injury, Thea Flaum realized families were on their own. That’s why she created FacingDisability.com. It's full of medical info, and real stories from people living with paralysis.

When Thea Flaum suddenly found herself caring for a family member with a spinal cord injury (SCI), she quickly discovered a lack of resources and support for...

10/23/2025

On the podcast: Annie had a spinal stroke the night before starting seventh grade. Once she got back to school, she had to wear a surgical halo to stabilize her spine. So, she went “trick-or-treating” as an angel.

Annie had a spinal stroke the night before seventh grade. When she got back to school, she had to wear a surgical halo to stabilize her spine. So, she went ...

09/02/2025

🎧 Listen now: One late-night drive left Amber paralyzed and shaped her future in ways she never expected.

Amber was 15 when a late-night drive with her family ended in a crash that left her paralyzed. Years later, what happened that night would haunt her in ways ...

08/21/2025

A song of strength, hope and community.

08/05/2025

From our Blog:
2025 Best Rehabilitation Hospitals - A total of 1,049 rehabilitation facilities were evaluated and ranked the top 50.

U.S. News & World Report has released its 2025 rankings of the top U.S. rehabilitation hospitals.

07/29/2025

New Podcast Episode:

Rob was a 17-year-old star football player with big plans for college. But one rainy afternoon on the job, a crash left him paralyzed and forced him to trade touchdowns for something way tougher.

Rob was a 17-year-old star football player with big plans for college. But one rainy afternoon on the job, a crash left him paralyzed and forced him to trade...

07/13/2025

The Shirley Ryan AbilityLab would like your help with some input on on some SCI fact sheets. See the image below for more. If interested please email: MSKTC@air.corg

06/10/2025

From our Blog: The pain relieving drug being studied in this trial has emphasized its non-addictive profile.

Neuropathic pain is a common but hard-to-treat condition affecting people living with SCI. Current treatments often have limited effectiveness and significant side effects.

Address

737 N Michigan Avenue, Ste 1560
Chicago, IL
60611

Telephone

+13122842525

Website

https://facingdisability.com/

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