More about Scott Darnell and Ability Reports

Dear friends: Thank you very much for your interest in this new venture, where the main mission is helping newly disabled and other wheelchair users regain freedom and independence and return to what most of us consider to be normal lives. Our main path for providing these services is for Scott Darnell to create a customized Ability Report for our honored Recipients. We will be sharing information with you here about how Recipients are identified and chosen, about how to nominate someone to receive an Ability Report, the types of things the Reports focus on, etc. First, I wanted to take you behind the scenes to let you know more about Scott himself.

Twenty-four years ago, Scott experienced his own life-altering spinal cord injury. To say that we all learned a lot during and after that time is an understatement. The difficulties really piled-up on us at the beginning, in the early stages of dealing with all the changes. Not only was Scott in the fight of his life, but the way information was communicated to his loved ones - and the ways that we passed word among ourselves and our people - was complicated, emotional and tough. Recently, Scott created an Ability Report for another family member of ours, and this made it clear once more how different people deal with difficulties. Suffice to say, it's not easy to see someone you love go through such a hard time, and the aspects of sharing updates, gathering advice and helping to make decisions in unknown, scary situations is all-encompassing and exhausting in the early going. This makes me think of an anecdote our mother shared with me, after paying Scott a visit right after he'd gone to rehab. When she confided to a nurse how hard it was to see her son going through that, the nurse told her that many parents never return after that first visit.

For me, seeing Scott go into these situations where he can draw from his own experience to help everyone find the best way through has been miraculous. At the same time, nothing about creating Ability Reports for others is easy. Scott is doing the lion's share of this work himself, and together, we have gained the utmost respect for the healthcare professionals who devote themselves to helping people deal with illnesses, injuries and other conditions requiring treatment, assistance, therapy, support and care.

A year after Scott's injury, he was well on his way to figuring out how to adapt to life in a wheelchair... and since then, he has continued to push himself to embrace and live life on his own terms, as much as possible, while also demonstrating a deep resolve for helping others. Before passing away, both of our grandmothers frequently expressed their wonder at Scott's energy, his attitude and his perseverence.

When Scott turned 50 in 2013, I reached out to our family members and many close friends to ask them to share two words to describe him. Many of you may be learning about Scott for the first time - and/or thinking about what he can do for Ability Report Recipients - so I thought sharing the graphic above would be a very good way to help you see what he means to about 60 of the people who know him best.

Continuing this two words exploration, I have asked Scott to make a list of two words to describe each day as we move through this 60-day "Please Fund Free Ability Reports" crowdfunding campaign. It has already been an exciting and greatly rewarding project, and we hope you will find inspiration in this journey as well. Thank you again for joining us.

Here are all of the contributors to "Scott Darnell, September 21, 2013"

Bob and Connie Bingham . Teri (Cruthis) Boehm . Claire Bowling . Kalonie Farley Caulk . Dan and Nancy Clotfelter . Sara Jacobs Contevita . Amelia Darnell . Jim and Peggy Darnell . Jesse and Diane Darnell . John Darnell . Laura Darnell . Lila Ridings-Darnell . Roger and Beth Darnell . Susan Darnell . Judy Davis . Tiffany Eakle . Jerry Gaffner . Liesl McVey Gaffner . Jane Hilliard . Sandy Holzhauer . Speed Jenner . Molly Gaffner-Jones . Ann Kiefert . Mike LaHood . Bernice Lurkins . Terri McClung . Janice McFarland . Marshall and Carla Mollet . Michelle Munich . Kristianna Bursa Myus . Kathy Rasler . Marti Reeser . Barb Davis Ridings . Bart Ridings . Bud Ridings . Daniel Ridings . Dorothy Ridings . Joel Ridings . Linda Ridings . Rachel Ridings . Richie Ridings . Sherry Ridings . Dianna Darnell Rist . Denise VanTassel Smith . Martha Smith . Victoria Lynn Soden . Mike Stoecklin . Melissa Schumacher . Nell Thacker . Heather Turner . Cristy Willman . Cheri Wynn . Jane Davidson Zappia