Every day brings its own set of challenges when you’re paralyzed and living life in a wheelchair. Some mornings, the hardest part is simply getting out of bed — not because you don’t want to, but because your body doesn’t always cooperate, and the muscle spasms can complicate things. What used to take five minutes can now take an hour or more, and even the smallest tasks require patience and planning. It's the little things that people often take for granted and the little things that are actually big things that people don't think about until they have to. 

Something as simple as getting dressed or transferring from the bed to the chair is a routine that demands both strength and focus. There’s no “just running out the door” anymore. Every outing means checking: Is the path accessible? Are there ramps? Will there be someone to help if we need it? Things other people rarely think about — stairs, curbs, or is the bathroom big enough that I can get my chair in for some privacy when needing to cath to go to the bathroom— so many things can completely change our plans. 

The world definitely isn’t built with wheelchairs in mind. Our family has had to find different hotels because they didn't have any accessible rooms, or they've been on the second floor and had no elevator, and the most frustrating part is lack of or no wheelchair or handicap parking available. Or having people ask "is the wheelchair necessary". Those moments can be frustrating, not just physically but emotionally. It’s hard not to feel invisible when a place, or even a person, isn’t prepared to meet you halfway. 

Then there’s the emotional side — the feeling of being dependent on others for things you wish you could still do on your own. I’ve learned to ask for help when I need it, but that doesn’t make it easy. Sometimes people look at me with pity, or they talk to whoever’s with me instead of to me. Those moments remind me how much the world still needs to learn about disability. 

Still, we have found strength in adaptation. We've learned patience, and we’ve discovered a different kind of independence — one built not on doing everything myself, but on finding new ways to live fully. Every day isn’t easy, but Matt has learned that his wheelchair doesn’t define him. It’s part of his life, our life,  yes, but it’s also a tool that gives him freedom, movement, and a way to keep showing up for himself, our family and others. 

The struggle is real, however our family has learned to navigate the best that we can. We learned to get creative at times, and just take things as they come to us. Every day is a learning experience, and we are getting a hang of things day by day. 

-The Lunt Family