Kim Sloop Michigan City, Indiana, USA
May 1985
I was born on May 13, 1985 with a Spinal Cord disease, Spina Bifida. The doctors told my parents that I wouln't be able to do much of anything and don't bother putting me in school with "normal" children. I showed them! Now I'm 22, almost 23, and I'm going to graduate from Purdue University in May 2009.
I could walk until I was a sophomore in H.S. I had a shunt malfunction but didn't know it. We went to Shriner's Hospital in Chicago to find out what was going on. An eye specialist said she saw something behind my eyes but didn't know what it was and that I should go see an Optomatrist. He saw nothing. So we went to Children's Hospital for a second opinion. Before we even got in the room, Dr. Young took one look at me and told my mom I was having a shunt malfunction. He said I was very lucky because I had this shunt malfunction for 6 months and I could've died. So now because of a misdiagnosis I am confined to a wheelchair
T5-7, April 1994
I was 15 years old, a h/s Sophomore, when I came home from baseball practice and walked with a buddy over to a friend's house to play basketball. Getting ready to leave, a kid in my class who just received his driver's license and a new pickup truck said to hop in the bed of the truck for a ride home. There were three guys in the cab already so we did as requested. The driver took off, messing around, lost control and hit a tree doing about 50mph. I was laying in the back so I didn't get thrown out, but my injuries were the worst of anyone's. I broke my back, bruised my heart, collapsed a lung and broke three ribs. I spent a summer in rehab at Mary Free Bed in Grand Rapids, MI, finished high school, got a Masters degree, and have a great job at a great company. I also write for magazines and I share my experiences with others in similar situations. I'm determined to get up someday - I KNOW I will. There's too much to do in life not to. My girlfriend and family are also a great support.
