By Guest Blogger Matthew Tilford

What does peer support do for you?

Right after my spinal cord injury I thought I could make it on my own. As I grew older I got wiser. People with spinal cord injuries are like wolves. We work better in a pack.  I thought I was a lone wolf but soon found out life was tough without my pack. The day I asked to be part of a pack was the day I realized I had the ability to accomplish any task ahead of me.

As I started reaching out to others with spinal cord injury I felt peaceful. No more pointless wars in my head suppressing what is important in my life. I have always been drawn to older people even before my injury because the older you are the more experience and knowledge you have. I stuck to my roots and spoke to a few people with spinal cord injuries that lived close to me. Some were very healthy and inspired me to take better care of myself. After learning from some of the old school wheelchair users I wanted to meet some people my age.

Facebook was a great source to start with. I met people with the same hobbies and some completely different. The great thing was we all understood each other no matter how different our lives were because we all belong to the same pack. It is nice to know someone out there is going through the same emotions and feelings as I am.

When BACKBONES was brought to my attention I was in awe. This is what we all need. It is with our pack that we socialize, find help, or just learn. Another great thing is that our families are welcome to join the pack as well.

Believe me you don’t want to be a lone wolf!  Join the pack!

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