Acquiring a spinal cord injury is life-changing and comes with many unknowns. Regaining independence, adjusting to a wheelchair and making accommodations to your house and car can be overwhelming.  Finding support within the SCI community can be instrumental in recovery and beyond.

For April’s PeerConnect, we welcome newly injured individuals to join us for a discussion with Nicole, Mike & Shawn who will share their journey of adjusting to their spinal cord injury and answer questions about common experiences that come with being a wheelchair user.

Email your questions to skelly@backbonesonline.com

About the panelists:

Nicole Llorens is a teacher, disability advocate, content creator and a motivational speaker. Nicole also has a T6 spinal cord injury from a car accident in 2019 that resulted in her and her twin sisters injuries. Nicole enjoys creating content that helps people with disabilities; you can find her content on Instagram and Youtube spreading awareness on disabilities.

Mike Franz is a paralegal and a freelance writer who writes for New Mobility and has written for Backbones. Mike is a C5/6 quad as a result of a car accident in 2001. In his free time, Mike likes to travel, gamble on sports, and spend time with his family and friends.

Shawn Fluke is a C5-C6 quadriplegic from a snowboarding accident 18 years ago. He runs a YouTube channel and website called Live To Roll to help others with disabilities. He is a peer mentor and ambassador for a non-profit in Southern California called Triumph Foundation and works as an adaptive fitness trainer for other quadriplegics