My Story
There are very few moments that can happen in one’s life that can change everything forever. In a split second your relationships change, your job, your finances, your home, your clothes, your independence. One moment gone terribly wrong and it’s all different. On May 23, 2010, Rachelle Friedman was playfully pushed into a pool by her best friend at her bachelorette party just weeks before her wedding. She hit the bottom of the pool head first, breaking her neck and causing a severe spinal cord injury. Rachelle had to face a difficult fact. She was now paralyzed from the chest down and would be a quadriplegic for the rest of her life.
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Rachelle could have easily given up on life, constantly asked why her and wondered what if? But she made the decision to move forward in her life with positivity and determination. 13 weeks after her injury she began playing adapted sports such as wheelchair rugby, hand cycling and even surfing. Within a year she had appeared on The Today Show, Headline News, MSNBC, Inside Edition and numerous news outlets both nationally and internationally to share her story of love, commitment, loyalty, and perseverance. She has been featured in Cosmopolitan magazine, In Touch magazine and as a guest on Vh1’s Couples Therapy.
Though she has remained positive, Rachelle is an advocate for a cure. She hopes to inspire you while conveying the hard realities of having a spinal cord injury. She plans on being positive as her situation is her current reality, but remains hopeful that research is headed for a cure.
Rachelle has made it her mission to spread her story in hope of inspiring others to make the most of each day they are given. “Why waste your time harping on insignificant things?” Rachelle asks. “Believe in defining your life by the positive moments and not the negative.”
Rachelle Chapman
In 2010 I suffered a spinal cord injury after being playfully pushed into a pool at my bachelorette party. I am a mom, blogger, model and advocate for people with disabilities. I blog about motherhood, fashion, fitness and life as a wheelchair user.
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The Promise available on Amazon.