What can I say that hasn’t already been said by the other fantastic Cure Girls? Paralysis has ruined our lives and those of our loved ones. Healthy, vibrant young lives transformed in an instant into lives of pain, illness and dependency. I joined the Cure Girls because the group is a beacon of hope, humour and courage in this bleak landscape. Working with the Cure Girls has enabled me to challenge the popularly held notion that disability and paralysis are empowering life choices. For me, and I think the other Cure Girls will agree, paralysis has been and continues to be a harrowing ordeal. There is no narrative of ‘triumph over adversity’ here, only a deep desire to recover function. And this is why the work of the Cure Girls is so crucial and important: we create a sense of urgency. Our message is simple and our determination knows no bounds: Chronic spinal cord injury must become curable.

Cure Girl Ruth.