My first trip as a wheelchair user

Russ Horton Start Date: Feb 24, 2024 - End Date: Jun 23, 2024
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Professional Development
  • Volunteer Trip
  • Czechia
  • Netherlands
  • Poland

My Travel Story

by: Russ Horton Start Date: Feb 24, 2024 - End Date: Jun 23, 2024
  • Cultural Exchange
  • Professional Development
  • Volunteer Trip
I was in the Prime of my life, the beginning of my golden years so to speak.  I was travelling through Peru in the Summer of 2022 with I began feeling weakness in my legs.  Fast forward a couple of months and I found myself unable to walk or even able to move my legs at all.
I spent a week at the University of Alabama research hospital.  Every inch of my body was scanned and probed, including a lumbar puncture to try to find the cause of my condition.
I left the hospital with more questions than answers, just that something has attacked the nerves controlling my lower extremeties.
Fast forward 18 months and I am still in a wheelchair.  Months of physical therapy has helped me regain the ability to stand and cross a room with my walker,but I still have a long way to go before I can rely just on my walker.
Stairs are an obvious issue.  I can now negotiate 3-4 small stairs as I work to regain the strength in my legs and hip flexors/abductors.
Fortunately, I had some savings that has helped me through this time.  I have applied for Social Security disability as well as any benefits from the Veterans Administration,  But there is still a lot of red tape to negotiate.

My biggest goal it to try to fund a power chair that will enable to to negotiate the terrain and yet portable enough to allow me to take it on airlines, and well as use around my home. I have a gravel driveway and my regular wheelchair simply does not allow me to do even the simple things like going to the mailbox.

I have spent many hours volunteering as an English as a second language teacher in Central and South America, and Cuba.  And I have been on many humitarian trips to Cuba, bring medical supplies and personal items to the people of Havana and the Pinar del Rio Provinces.  I hope to contiue this work with your help!

  • Czechia
  • Netherlands
  • Poland