Every September, we celebrate Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month or SCI Awareness Month to educate others on the true impact and cost of spinal cord injuries.
In this blog post, you’ll learn why we recognize SCI Awareness Month, how common these injuries are, the cost of life with a spinal cord injury, and where to find SCI resources and further reading.
Why recognize Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month?
Spinal cord injuries are complex and life-changing, often impacting mental, physical, emotional, and financial well-being. Whether it results from an accident, a diagnosis at birth, or an illness, a spinal cord injury often represents a shocking, overwhelming, isolating, and traumatic event.
While spinal cord injuries impact hundreds of thousands of people in the US alone, many people have little or no knowledge about their impact on individuals and families.
With psychological challenges, financial hardship, caregiving needs, and barriers created by ableism and inaccessibility, SCIs leave an impact on not just one individual but their entire family and extended community.
Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month was first officially recognized by the US in 2014 through Senate Resolution 533, which aimed to support SCI research for treatment, therapies, and a cure for paralysis.
As a nonprofit that works closely with spinal cord injury survivors and their families for medical fundraising, we celebrate SCI Awareness Month by amplifying views and voices within the SCI community and sharing perspectives from our clients and their communities of support.
How common are spinal cord injuries?
The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center reports that there are over 18,000 spinal cord injuries each year diagnosed in the US, and more than 300,000 people in the US are currently living with a spinal cord injury.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 15 million people are living with a spinal cord injury worldwide.
What is the cost of spinal cord injury treatment?
Medical costs and related expenses after a spinal cord injury can easily add up to $1.3 million per year depending on the severity of the injury.
A spinal cord injury imposes substantial financial burdens on both individuals with SCI and their families.
Common out-of-pocket expenses after a spinal cord injury include hospitalization and immediate stabilization, surgery, medications, home modifications, accessible vans, long-term rehabilitation, assistive technology, and caregiving.
Why We Celebrate Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month
We celebrate Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month to amplify the voices of individuals impacted by spinal cord injuries. We believe that individuals and families facing SCI deserve to feel seen, heard, empowered, and equipped with the support they need to keep moving.
Spinal cord injury awareness represents a chance to:
- Fight back against ableism and inaccessibility
- Challenge myths about life with paralysis
- Share resources that can help SCI families
- Show individuals and families living with the impact of SCI that they are not alone.
How to Celebrate Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month
If you are living with a spinal cord injury yourself or are a caregiver or loved one for someone with SCI, you can celebrate Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month in any way that feels authentic and effective to you.
You may keep your reflections and actions private, or you can add your voice to the dialogue this month by sharing your firsthand insights on social media, in videos, in blog posts or articles, or in other ways.
Don’t have firsthand experience with SCI? Here are three ways to celebrate Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month:
Understand Life with an SCI:
Take the time to learn about life with a spinal cord injury. Absorb firsthand content, follow influencers and advocates who live with SCI, and enrich your understanding so you can fight back against myths, misconceptions, and ableism.
Amplify Stories:
Share what you learn! Re-share content from individuals with SCI to help more people gain awareness, understanding, and respect during Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month and all year long.
Donate to an SCI Nonprofit:
Donate to nonprofits like Help Hope Live that provide resources and support to the spinal cord injury community. We help thousands of individuals living with SCI to afford what they need to heal, live, and thrive through trusted medical fundraising campaigns.
Spinal Cord Injury Resources and What to Read Next
Our nonprofit Help Hope Live is dedicated to sharing insights and resources to help individuals living with SCI and their families.
Here are just a few of our top resources for SCI:
- Understand the cost of spinal cord injury per year and over a lifetime, including common expenses not covered by insurance
- Read common questions and answers about life with a spinal cord injury
- Learn how we can help you start an SCI fundraising campaign with one-on-one fundraising help and trusted, secure nonprofit benefits
- Hear encouragement from people who have successfully raised funds for SCI expenses and more
- Download and share our comprehensive and hand-vetted SCI Resource Directory, including financial grants, support groups, and more
- Read insightful and honest reflections on living with an SCI and other mobility-impacting disabilities
- Watch our Hope Talks, including:
- The first 100 days after a spinal cord injury
- Tips for adaptive technology
- Returning to work with an SCI
- Navigating insurance appeals and approvals
- Transitioning from hospital to home
- Making college accessible to you after an SCI
