Peter Athanasopoulos:

The Spinal Cord Injury Ontario was formed in 1945 to build a fully inclusive Ontario where people with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities can live the life they choose. Having a spinal cord injury and experiencing paralysis can be extremely life-altering. Rekindling passion for life after paralysis is devastating and our organization works closely with family members and the individual with the spinal cord injury to help them realize that there is life after spinal cord injury.

Spinal Cord Injury Ontario has benefited from a very amazing partnership with Federated Health Charities since 1984. The really cool thing about our partnership is Federated Health Charities’ dollars is unrestricted. So it gives us the ability to use these funds in a very unique way that’s not restricted in any way to create the greatest impact possible for people with spinal cord injuries.

On average there’s a new spinal cord injury every day in Ontario. There’s approximately 33,000 people living with spinal cord injuries in Ontario. The cost burden to a spinal cord injury on average to an individual is $1.1 million. People cannot afford to live independently with a disability. They rely on Charites like Spinal Cord Injury Ontario to help facilitate resources or provide resources so people can live the life they choose.

Benjamin Kwarteng:

I got into a car accident in 2008 while visiting Africa for my mother’s funeral. I did the surgery so when I woke up I didn’t even know what was going on. And they told me that I got in a car accident and I’m currently paralyzed and didn’t know how my paralyzed movement or the kind of function that I have at the moment if I was going to get any improvement going forward. It took a couple of years for me to actually be comfortable in my own skin, to actually accept the changes in order for me to actually say, OK, this is what it is, I need to find a way around it to actually be part of society and [pull myself out of it? 00:02:12].

To be honest, without your support a lot of us will fall through the gap. It is very unfortunate that some of us that are in the wheelchair require so much assistance. When it comes down to my wheelchair I did receive standpoint [to? 00:02:27] as well, because without that I would not be able to be mobile. For example the price of my wheelchair that I’m sitting in right now is about $52,000. It helps me strengthen my bones, it helps me increase my blood flow, it helps me with my bowel bladder function. So it helps in so much ways, but unfortunately it doesn’t get covered so most of the money will have to come from fund raising or me savings and asking family members for additional standpoint.

So our future donors, it would be very, very grateful that you could donate. And without your support it will be next to impossible for us to contribute to society and be as independent as we choose to be.

Peter Athanasopoulos:

If you’re on the fence in giving a donation to Federated Health Charities, I just think, just stop thinking and just do it. Right? Like, I think this organization has a track record of demonstrating its value, its importance, its authenticity towards helping people and making the greatest impact.

So if you want to take a moment and think about impact, and take a moment around how you as an individual can make a difference, just go on the Health Charities’ website and see all the wonderful things that they’ve been able to accomplish.

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