hector-del-valle

My Life Today After a Spinal Cord Injury

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 08:19:13 GMT

A spinal cord injury does not end your life. It changes it.

When people hear the words spinal cord injury, they often imagine an ending.

An ending to dreams.

An ending to purpose.

An ending to life as they knew it.

What I’ve learned over the last four decades is this:

A spinal cord injury does not end your life.

It changes it.

And change—while painful—can also become a doorway.

Today, my life looks nothing like the one I imagined at seventeen. I don’t walk. I roll. I don’t measure success by what I can lift or run toward. I measure it by impact, connection, and faith. And in many ways, my life is richer now than it ever was before.

What Life Really Looks Like After a Spinal Cord Injury

Life after a spinal cord injury is not a straight line.

There are days of strength.

There are days of grief.

There are moments of deep gratitude—and moments of deep frustration.

I live with physical limitations. I rely on others in ways I never expected. My body requires planning, equipment, and care just to move through a normal day.

But I also live with:

• Purpose

• Community

• Faith

• A voice

• A calling

Disability did not erase who I am.

It revealed who I could become.

For many years, I thought my injury defined me. I believed the chair was the headline of my story. What I slowly discovered is that the chair is only the setting. The story is still being written by the choices I make every day.

What Change Really Means

When people hear the word change, they often think it just happens.

Time passes.

Therapy begins.

Doctors do their part.

And somehow, life is supposed to feel better.

But real change doesn’t work that way.

Change is not passive.

Healing is not automatic.

Growth is not accidental.

We can’t expect to walk again simply because we show up to physical therapy. Our legs are powered by nerves. Those nerves are connected to the brain. The brain is shaped by thought, belief, and emotion. The body follows the mind. The mind is influenced by the heart. And the heart is shaped by what we believe about ourselves and about God.

It’s all connected.

Real change means participation.

It means choosing to engage—not only physically, but:

• Mentally

• Emotionally

• Spiritually

• Financially

I often say that balance in these five areas has been key for me:

Physically – caring for the body I have today.

Mentally – challenging the thoughts that limit me.

Emotionally – allowing grief, joy, anger, and hope to be felt.

Spiritually – staying rooted in something bigger than myself.

Financially – learning to create stability and purpose in a new way.

Neglect one, and the others feel it.

For me, faith is what fuels all of this. Not faith as a shortcut. Not faith as denial. But faith as the energy that keeps me moving when the work is hard.

Faith doesn’t replace effort.

Faith makes effort possible.

I don’t believe “everything will just work out.”

I believe I am called to show up.

Change is not wishing.

Change is choosing.

The Inner Work Is the Real Work

The hardest part of my injury was never the wheelchair.

It was the voice in my head that said:

• “You are less than.”

• “You are a burden.”

• “Your best days are behind you.”

Those thoughts are more disabling than paralysis.

Healing didn’t begin when my body stabilized.

Healing began when I started asking better questions:

• Who am I now?

• What still matters?

• How can I serve from where I am?

The inner work—mental, emotional, spiritual—is what changed everything.

I had to learn that I am more than my body.

More than my diagnosis.

More than my past mistakes.

That truth didn’t arrive in one moment. It grew slowly through prayer, failure, reflection, community, and time.

My Life Today

Today, I write.

I speak.

I mentor.

I build community.

I walk with others through the moment when life breaks in half.

My days include nurses, technology, prayer, reflection, and connection. They include laughter, creativity, and sometimes exhaustion.

But they also include meaning.

I don’t chase the life I lost.

I build the life I’ve been given.

I am not who I was.

And I am not who I thought I would be.

I am who I am becoming.

If You Are Standing at Your Own Crossroads

If you are newly injured…

If you are caring for someone who is…

If life has broken in a way you never planned…

I want you to hear this:

You are not done.

You are not forgotten.

You are not alone.

Your story is still being written.

Change does not mean pretending everything is okay.

It means deciding that your life still matters.

It means choosing to engage your whole self—

Body.

Mind.

Heart.

Spirit.

Future.

You don’t have to have all the answers.

You just have to take the next step.

Even if that step is made from a chair.

Even if that step begins in your thoughts.

Even if that step is simply believing that your life still has purpose.

Because it does.

Our Voices Matter - Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 07:57:19 GMT

Join Me for Florida’s 20th Annual Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day at the State Capitol in Tallahassee on February 10, 2026

Dear friends,

I recently received an invitation to attend Florida’s 20th Annual Developmental Disabilities Awareness Day at the State Capitol in Tallahassee on February 10, 2026.

This day brings together individuals with disabilities, families, advocates, professionals, and allies from across the state to celebrate our community, share our stories, and remind our leaders that our voices matter.

As I read through the invitation, I felt a strong nudge in my spirit—this is exactly the kind of space where our work belongs.

It is about dignity.

It is about choice.

It is about community.

It is about making sure people with disabilities are seen, heard, and valued.

I would love to attend and would be honored to have some of you join me.

Whether you are an author, advocate, family member, professional, or ally, your presence matters. There is power in simply showing up together.

If this resonates with you, I invite you to consider standing alongside me in Tallahassee on February 10.

More details and registration can be found here:

https://www.fddc.org/dd-awareness-day/

Let’s continue building bridges—between our stories, our communities, and the systems that shape our lives.

With gratitude,

Hector Del Valle

Reflecting on Life, Faith, Disability, and Purpose

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 07:53:24 GMT

Reflecting on Life, Faith, Disability, and Purpose Series

I’m starting something simple and meaningful.

If you’d like to walk or roll with me, I’ll be sharing short reflections on life, faith, disability, and purpose—drawn from my own journey and the lessons I continue to learn along the way.

This won’t be noise or constant posting—just thoughtful reflections and encouragement as we navigate life together.

If this speaks to you, I’d love for you to join me here:

Sign up here:
https://preview.mailerlite.io/.../176110519279683260/share

Grateful for this community,
Hector

People With Disabilities Are Working

Tue, 27 Jan 2026 07:41:34 GMT

People with disabilities are working... and thriving!

The Good News We Don’t Hear Enough: People with Disabilities Are Working!

After reading the latest LinkedIn research on disability and work, I felt encouraged—and honestly, affirmed.

So often, the narrative around disability and employment is framed around what isn’t happening: barriers, gaps, and limitations. While those challenges are real and still need attention, this report highlights something equally important:

People with disabilities are working.
They are staying employed.
And they are building careers.

That matters.

What the Data Tells Us (in Human Terms)

The research shows that most people with disabilities who enter the workforce remain in it. They are not leaving work at higher rates. They are showing up, contributing, and adapting—just like everyone else navigating an unpredictable world of work.

One insight stood out to me:

People with disabilities often advance by changing jobs, rather than being promoted within the same company.

That’s not a weakness.

That’s strategy.

It tells me people with disabilities are resilient, resourceful, and willing to make bold moves when opportunity doesn’t come easily. They’re not waiting to be “allowed” to grow—they’re finding ways to grow anyway.

A Generational Shift Worth Celebrating

Another hopeful sign is what’s happening with younger workers.

Young adults with disabilities are entering the workforce and staying employed at rates closer than ever to their non-disabled peers. That tells me something important is changing—not fast enough, but enough to notice.

More awareness.

More accessibility.

More conversations that weren’t happening years ago.

Progress doesn’t mean the work is finished—but it does mean the work is working.

This Isn’t Just a Disability Story—It’s a Human One

Disability is not separate from life.

It’s part of the human experience.

Some of us live with disability every day.

Some of us will later in life.

And all of us rely on systems, support, and opportunity to thrive.

When people with disabilities succeed at work, it doesn’t lower the bar—it raises the standard for inclusion, creativity, and perseverance in the workplace.

Why This Good News Matters

Good news matters because it changes expectations.

It reminds employers that people with disabilities are not a risk—they’re an asset.

It reminds communities that inclusion isn’t charity—it’s common sense.

And it reminds people with disabilities themselves that their presence in the workforce is not an exception—it’s normal.

Moving Forward

Yes, there is still work to do—especially around internal promotions, accessibility, and long-term career growth. But today, I choose to pause and acknowledge the progress.

Because recognizing what’s going right gives us the strength to keep pushing for what still needs to change.

People with disabilities are working.

They are contributing.

And they are part of the future of work.

And that is very good news.

If you are looking for ways to develop yourself personally or professionally as you adapt to life after a physical disability and would like to elevate and expedite your journey, schedule a free consultation and find out how I can help get you there !

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