Cindy

Age: 59

Location: West Virginia

Injury or relation: Mother and caregiver

Hobbies/Interests: travel, arts and crafts, reading, writing/blogging, advocacy, volunteering (AbleThrive, Reeve Foundation)

Why did you become a peer mentor? A lifelong disability advocate, I managed group homes and worked at an institution. Even so, I still experienced a really rough time after I fell asleep at the wheel and caused my daughter Beth's SCI. We lived in a small town in Ohio at that time. If I had connected with a mentor, another parent who understood the daily struggle, I’m certain I would have healed more quickly. Now, 18 years after the accident, my family agrees that our lives are better— not in spite of my daughter’s injury, but because of it. I share our story in my blog.