Christopher’s Story- Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month
Written by Melissa Donovan
September was designated National SCI Awareness Month by the US Senate in an effort to raise awareness about SCI, the need for better treatments and education on prevention. According to themiamiproject.org, 17,730 new spinal cord injuries occur each year in the United States alone.
Christopher Pruitt, a current CIL Board Member, found himself as a part of that statistic when he was involved in a traumatic boating accident six years ago. This accident happened in the blink of an eye and left him with spinal cord injuries that have paralyzed him from the neck down. He relies on friends and roommates to help him with day-to-day tasks such as getting food, driving, and bathing.
Before his injury, Christopher worked as an event planner. He was the person in charge of making memorable and welcoming corporate events, weddings, concerts, and more. After the accident, he realized that he was not able to perform the necessary tasks that event planning required. This was just one of the many changes that he had to make to adjust to his new life. Christopher says that his injury has placed insane limitations in his home life and the real world. Although Christopher has learned to adapt to a new version of his life, he still finds himself adapting to new changes constantly.
“You know life is always changing and you have to change with it and if something doesn’t work try something different,” Christopher said.
Christopher has become very passionate about working with non-profit organizations, such as CIL. After discovering about the work of CIL in the community, from a friend, Christopher knew that he wanted to get involved with the organization that shared his values and drive to better the disability community.
“When I got the opportunity, I wanted to go ahead and jump at it and get on their board and see what I can do to help further their agenda,” Christopher said.
Christopher has noticed that through his time with CIL, that he has a unique understanding and real perspective on the needs and challenges of people with disabilities.
“There are tons of people out there that do not have the equipment or the access to people that can help, so I think that was one of the biggest things that drew me to CIL.”
Although Christopher’s accident has altered his life completely in countless ways, he realizes that he has become stronger because of it, and he hopes that people who may be going through what he went through will not be discouraged.
Christopher had the ultimate platform to tell his story on February 20, 2020- when he told a crowd of over 500 people about how his disability has not only affected him, but also how it has allowed him to think and interact with his world in a whole new perspective. He also described how important it was for him to make relationships with organizations like CIL, so that he could offer his unique perspective to better help the people that these groups serve. Ultimately, Christopher’s story resonated and touches the hearts of the competition’s attendees, as CIL won third place and $10,000.
