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Courtney KeenanCentreville, NB Occupation: Project Coordinator, K-Line Construction & professional volunteer Volunteer Work:Board member for the
Forest Hill Rehabilitation Centre Foundation, Favourite food: any type of pasta Favourite pastime: fishing Favourite movie: Almost famous, the untitled version Favourite book: Turning the Tide by Sydney Kirkpatrick Mentor: Alvin Law - a motivational speaker from Alberta. He came to my high school when I was in grade 12. He was born with no arms - I have never forgotten him. |
"Today is your day! |
Tell me about your injury and how it affects your mobility:
I have a spinal cord injury, quadriplegia. My injury is C5 - an injury to the cervical fifth vertebra. I use a manual wheelchair to get around and I drive myself in my car and use Howell Ventures hand controls for driving.
Tell me about the day you were injured:
We were at a fundraising dance for the local volunteer fire department and me, my girlfriend and another couple decided to go for a swim at a cottage at about 2:30 AM. It was a beautiful full moon. The women decided to go for a swim and I went too. I ran down the steps of the cottage and down the wharf and ran as far as I could towards the water - I ran 35 feet past the two who were sitting in the water up to their necks - I thought they were standing.
I dove in and it was only about 3 feet of water. It was instantaneous. A shock ran down my spine. I couldn't lift my head to tell them that I was in trouble. I could see their feet in the water but I couldn't lift my head. When I was on my last bubble of breath they rolled me over and I explained what was going on and then someone went for help.
An ambulance took me to the Woodstock hospital. They did X-rays and decided to transfer me to Saint John. The hospital requested permission to get me air lifted to Saint John as a result of all the road construction. Once in the air, it was too foggy to land in Saint John and they took me to the Moncton hospital.
The Neurosurgeon in Moncton had just returned from training in Switzerland for a year with one of the top Neurosurgeons in the world. I was in intensive care four days and then spent eight days in the ward although they had expected that I would be in intensive care for two weeks and in the ward four weeks. On the eighth day I was transferred to the Stan Cassidy Centre.
As a person with a spinal cord injury, what has been your greatest challenge? What have been your greatest successes?
My greatest challenge has been self-acceptance. It means nothing to me what other people, think feel or believe...it's how I feel about myself and what I can contribute to society in a meaningful way.
My greatest success first was to wheel my own chair after they told me that I would never do it. They originally told me that I would be confined to power chair. My next successes were self-catheterization, and then transferring...all of these have lead to self-acceptance to overcome the barriers.
Another success is the awareness-raising work I have done related to disability in rural areas... "up home" especially.
Who have been the greatest supports in your life?
My greatest supports are my parents, my family and the people who I discovered were truly my friends. You learn really quickly who your friends are. My friends were there for me.
My parents vowed to take me anywhere in the world that could help me and they have been supportive of everything that I do now including my volunteer work, work on committees and Boards of Directors. They believe that I can do everything that I believe I can do.
What do you believe are the top issues facing people with spinal cord injuries in New Brunswick? What needs to be done to address these issues?
The top issues are overall awareness of disability issues, accessibility in public facilities and housing accommodations and funding for those who are less fortunate and need government assistance with equipment and other supports.
For awareness, we as CPA (N.B.) need to raise the bar for awareness. We also need the building code for public facilities to be reviewed and enforced consistently. Through wheelchair sports programs we need to increase awareness of people's abilities.
How did you get involved in the CPA (N.B.) Inc.? Tell me a little bit about your involvement?
I was called and asked to replace a former Board member. And as we search for the reasons why things happen to us, I believed that it was a cause that I could contribute to and I felt an obligation to myself to become a Board member.
Why do you feel the CPA (N.B.) Inc. services are important?
The CPA (N.B.) addresses all the issues facing people with disabilities. The issues don't get forgotten about. Although there are funding cuts from year to year from government, we work hard to fundraise and replace the funds that are lost to make the services happen.
The people who work at CPA (N.B.) don't look at the work as a job, they look at it as something that they believe in and can contribute to in a positive manner.
What does the future look like to you?
My future's so bright I gotta wear shades.
What message do you have for someone who has just incurred a spinal cord injury or someone with a physical disability?
Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.
Also, I'll share my favourite Ghandi quote: "We must be the change we wish to see in the world."
Based on an interview with Haley Flaro, Executive Director, CPA (N.B.) Inc. on August 23, 2006.