Jeffrey Robert Nicholson

In honor of Jeff Nicholson the non profit Help Hope Live is raising money to help fund transportation needs related to Catastrophic Spinal Cord Injury.

Jeff has chosen to fund raise with Help Hope Live in part because donations are tax deductible for contributors and will only be used to cover the purchase of a new wheelchair accessible conversion van. Jeff’s life was forever changed when he was struck by a catastrophic high level spinal cord injury. Here is Jeff’s story in his own words; 

I was born in Kirkland, WA in 1960, I grew up in Edmonds, WA and I have lived in Mukilteo, WA since 1984. I was in my 22nd year of life, I was a woodworker, I had a lot of friends, I hiked/camped and went to the gym a lot. Then on March 7th 1982 my life changed forever when my best friend and I were in a roll over car accident. My friend walked away, I broke my neck and I was left paralyzed for life. I spent five months in rehab at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle Washington. There I had to begin the process of understanding my new life. The doctors, nurses and care I received there was second to none! They did so well at preparing me for the new life ahead of me! Living life as a quadriplegic is not easy, it is very difficult but oh well…life goes on!  A high level spinal cord injury may have dumped a big bowl of sour lemons into my life, but I have found that I can get up everyday and make lemonade! My motto in life is “If there is a will, there is a way”! My family has helped me so much over the years, they have been my rock…without them I don’t where I might be!

Being a quadriplegic can leave a person with not much to do. Going on long scenic drives is something I just love to do! It gives me strength, purpose and inspiration. I started my first art piece two days after getting home from Yellowstone Park! I discovered that I can do fine detailed drawings by holding pencils with my teeth, I am fully self taught! I am also an avid photographer. Photography is something I found that I can do well and I just love going to beautiful places and taking photos! Unfortunately my photography travels have been on hold for about a year now due to my unreliable old van. Having reliable transportation is a must for my physical and mental well being! I am a cancer survivor of 19 years now. I had a near death experience 19 years ago, been to heaven and back so to say. It was a very profound and amazing thing!

Landing in a wheelchair with a severe disability left me with no way to support myself. Very few quadriplegics ever have any gainful employment. Over the years that has actually been one of the most difficult and ongoing parts of my disability. I never got the chance to do what all my family and friends have been able to do. Oh how I’ve wished that I could go to work every day, work hard and earn a paycheck! I served four years as a volunteer on the Mukilteo Parks and Arts Commission and two years as the chairperson. I am an artist and I have worked very hard with my art, holding colored pencils with my teeth but that has made me very little money over the years when I rarely sell a print. I give my art as gifts and donate it to charity auctions. I always really enjoy donating my art to charity fundraisers, it makes me feel good, my way of giving back! I know that my art has given hope and inspiration to a lot of people and that makes me very happy! 

My life goal now is to set a record for the longest lived SCI quad! With good care, good attitude and God, I am at 44 years now! To set that record I will need nature, forests, mountains, fresh air, travel, photography and I will need good reliable transportation to get me through a couple more decades of life!

I am not the kind of person that likes to ask for help outside of my daily life. The van I have now is 25 years old and all worn out. It was gifted to me by friends when they lost their spinal injured daughter. Buying a new wheelchair van is financially impossible for me, so here I am now at a point in my life with a charity fundraiser being ran in my honor! The time has come for me to ask for help.

Thank you so very much to all who donate funds to my hopes of getting a new wheelchair van! Your donation will help me live, your help will give me hope! Love and peace to all…