Paralympian Bert Burns Brings Inspiration to Madonna

We’re still in awe that Paralympian Bert Burns graced our hallways earlier this week. He shared his personal journey of Life After Spinal Cord Injury with patients and staff. Bert became a quadriplegic in his 20s after a drunk driver hit his car. While the experience forever changed his life, Bert says it didn’t end it. Rather, he says it was just beginning. “ Life’s not over, it’s just different. You’re just sitting instead of standing.”

Read Bert's entire message below:

“I was very fortunate when I first got injured, to my rec therapist had somebody come and talk to me. Somebody that was out in the community that was in a wheelchair that did wheelchair racing and she introduced me to him and I had tons of questions that I didn’t feel like I could ask my therapist. He was one of the main people that really helped change my (perspective of my) new life in a chair. So I really like being able to go out and talk to patients, both new patients and those who have been injured for awhile and talk to therapists and just tell them how valuable what they do is and how much they’re appreciated. Just talk to people that have been injured and just show them that life’s not over, it’s just different. You’re just sitting, instead of standing. You can see that light go off in their head, ‘Wow, Bert did that. I can do that too.’ I hope for somebody to experience that and when that happens, then I feel like it’s worthwhile being there for me and them both.”