 Reaching out to those affected by SCI
Inspiring the newly injured through role models and peer mentors Supporting individuals and families as they begin their post-injury journeys Empowering those with SCI to fulfill their goals and dreams 
 
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Meet the Director Dear Friend, 
As I write this, I can’t help but wonder where I would be right now had it not been for the Greater Boston Chapter (GBC) of the National Spinal Cord Injury Association? After being struck by a car and paralyzed while riding my motorcycle home from work, I had no clue what the rest of my life would be like, especially being a wheelchair user. Luckily, I was introduced to the GBC while undergoing therapy at a rehabilitation hospital in Boston. I knew that I wanted to finish my senior year of college, so the GBC assisted me in finding a wheelchair accessible apartment on the campus of Northeastern University. To my good fortune, I wound up meeting a guy who had a similar spinal cord injury five years prior to mine. Within a few weeks, he taught me everything that doctors, nurses, physical and occupational therapists tried to teach me during my three months in the rehabilitation hospital. Ultimately, he became my first peer mentor. He introduced me to wheelchair racing and I completed twelve marathons in five years. He brought me out to bars and I watched in amazement as he would pick up women even though he was a wheelchair user. He built up so much of the self-confidence that I initially lost after my injury that I took on my greatest challenge: Law School. Three years later I graduated and passed the bar exam on my first try. My mentor went on to get his MBA and now works for Medtronic, the makers of Baclofin and insulin pumps. Having this mentorship allowed me to reflect on the limitations I set up for myself as a person prior to my injury and the endless possibilities of post injury life. Although I swore that I’d never go back to the hospital where I rehabbed, as I became more involved with the GBC’s Peer Visitation Program, I realized that it would be a disservice to the newly injured; those who would benefit from the knowledge bestowed upon me by my mentor. Another realization quickly occurred as I continued to root myself into the GBC: There were a handful of people who have “carried” this organization over years. The Greater Boston Chapter of the NSICA started out as a place for persons with SCI to come and share concerns, enjoy social events and ultimately feel like they “fit in.” The GBC continues to do that and so much more. We have two offices in two SCI rehabilitation hospitals, four part-time employees and over 30 trained peer volunteers. We continue to work with health care professionals to improve the treatment that persons with SCI receive. This enables us to not only monitor treatment, but also improve the overall quality of care that patients receive and deserve. But these hard working, dedicated people can’t do it alone. We continue to seek others who can make the commitment to continue to help those with SCI live healthy, fulfilling lives and bring greater awareness to the general population. We did it at the State House in 2004 with the passage of the Spinal Cord Injury Research Trust Fund and Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month. With your assistance, we can continue to offer our programs and services to everyone living with a spinal cord injury in Massachusetts. Please consider donating your time and/or money to our organization today. Thank you, David Estrada, Director
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Tel: 781.933.8666