Neuro Note #4 - Spinal Cord Injury

 

For this week’s neuro note, I chose to read an article titled, “Jocelyn’s Gender-Neutral Nursery Renovation” written by a blogger who has a 10-month-old child and wanted to share Jocelyn "Jos" Franciscus' inspiring story. Jocelyn has a Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) which resulted in quadriplegia and her being paralyzed from the torso down without finger function. She coordinated and designed her daughter, Myla’s, nursery with her cell phone prior to Myla’s birth. Jos and her husband, Michael, bought a home that, fortunately, was equipped with a ramp and was very wheelchair accessible. It was important to them that the nursery be gender neutral to avoid gender stereotypes as well as the consideration that Michael would be spending a lot of time there caring for Myla. Jos said the most challenging part of the entire process was coordinating tradespeople with all their different schedules, especially being that this was her first time needing to do so. She is a very organized person and found it difficult rely on others so heavily for something she once did with ease. After finishing her daughter’s nursery, she now consults for children’s interiors giving her best advice. A few of her recommendations include “have fun with it!” and “with a bit of forethought and preparation, a nursery can become a haven that grows with them for many years to come” (Anderson, 2016). I think this is great advice.

I chose this resource among all the choices because I was curious about how a person with a SCI can complete home renovations like a nursery and I also love to see nursey designs! Fun fact: I looked Jocelyn Franciscus up on Google and it turns out, she's an Occupational Therapist! Anyways, what I took away from the reading is that a SCI should not hold someone back from their passions in life and they can do what they love with a few modifications. I believed this prior to the reading, but I learned more about how that can be achieved specifically. She made use of today’s technology, her support system, and professionals who could get the job done physically because she had the resources. I would recommend this reading to others because it is insightful for anyone who wants to learn more about SCI’s and nurseries!

References

Anderson, M. (2016, April 17). Jocelyn’s gender-neutral nursery renovation. House Nerd. https://www.house-nerd.com/blog/articles/jocelyns-gender-neutral-nursery-renovation