Hello Friends! Whenever I am given the chance to interview one of my extended brothers or sisters with a mobility disability, I always get excited. While there are no two disabilities, two people for that matter, that are exactly the same, we can all benefit from learning about the experience one has in navigating his or her life. I have always said that whomever comes into my life, I have a message for him/her, and he/she has a message for me. This attitude fuels me and generates an excitement and anticipation that can be labeled as, “Who is the next person to enter my life and enhance it?”

Well, Stathis (who goes by Stath) Hasiotis is one of those individuals who is about to motivate and inspire you to take positive action in your life. He has been a wheelchair user for the past nine years, the result of “being a guy and not thinking.” He climbed a tree, fell asleep in the tree, the tree branch broke, he fell from the tree, and broke his neck at C-7. While interviewing him I could tell that he was not happy with being the cause of his paralysis, but he owned it and one could immediately notice that he has moved forward with his life and is not living his life with regret. He is an incomplete tetraplegic, with full sensation but does not feel heat. Pain and spasms are a part of his life, but again, he has learned to live with these discomforts and knows that they a part of the paralysis territory for many.

In the beginning days of his paralysis, he recalls having great family and friend support. Overwhelming feelings came and went as a whole new vocabulary was introduced to him. He remembers and still acknowledges the stories about skin breakdown and vowed never to be one of those people to have that secondary condition. It was extremely important to him to listen to his music and play his drums very early on in his rehabilitation to give him that peace of mind. Adaptive sports and travel were introduced to him and he is now a world traveler with a disability. Actually, during a trip to Iceland, he quickly learned that his chair was never boarded on the airplane. Focusing on what was most important, the experience of traveling with his wife and friends, took precedent. Fortunately, his wheelchair arrived the following day and his vacation could be enjoyed with even more peace of mind.

Today, Stath gets up at 5:00 a.m., every morning to prepare himself for the work day. He balances his life with time with his family and friends, his music, skydiving and a dream of getting to Greece sometime soon.
We wish Stath all the best in his journey. If you have any questions regarding this blog entry, please email me at scott.chesney@numotion.com. Until next time, enjoy the journey in creating A Nu You and Maximizing YOUR Life with a Disability!