Peer & Family Support Program Spotlight: Adrienne Aldridge
Adrienne Aldridge is a self-described people-person.
“My heart is with other people all the time,” says Aldridge. “I’m the ‘mom’ friend, always helping others out.”
It’s a part of herself that she has worked hard to maintain even as her life dramatically changed.
In 2017, the then 22-year-old was headed to a lake trip with friends four hours from her Texas home when her hands suddenly went numb, followed by her core and legs. After a week in the hospital, she learned that what she initially thought might be an allergic reaction was a rare stroke in her spinal cord.
“I was told there is no cure, and my body would heal itself,” says Aldridge, who has regained some hand and arm function. “The timing was awful. I had just finished my associate degree and was planning to move into my own home.”
Aldridge is quick to add that the timing was also lucky. The stroke could have occurred while she was out on the lake with little access to medical help. It is this kind of positive approach that’s helped Aldridge move forward.
“I take it day by day. One day is ok, and the next is not, and that’s ok. I feel like I’m always adjusting,” says Aldridge. “You have to find what works for you. I like talking to others and keeping that part of who I am is important.”
Aldridge first learned about the Reeve Foundation Peer & Family Support Program while in rehab at Baylor Hospital. As such a social person, it is not surprising that she maintains regular connections with three mentors she has met over the years. She finds the support, and the conversation, enormously helpful.
“There are a lot of us out there, and people don’t realize it. I was just at a store and saw two other people in wheelchairs,” says Aldridge. “I try to feel like I am a normal part of society, but it is hard when you aren’t moving like everyone else. My friends recently went to a concert, and I couldn’t go because the venue wasn’t accessible. There are so many things I get left out of.”
Join Our Movement
What started as an idea has become a national movement. With your support, we can influence policy and inspire lasting change.
Become an Advocate
For Aldridge, these types of challenges make it even more important to find others she can talk to. In 2020, she decided to expand her connections by becoming a Reeve Foundation mentor. Most of the peers she has spoken with are females around her same age.
“It is nice to know others are out there. It is important to realize I’m not alone and let others know they aren’t either,” says Aldridge. “I don’t see it as mentoring them, we are all just friends, and we are all in this together. I often feel like they are mentoring me versus me mentoring them.”
Aldridge and her peers exchange advice and tips. About half the conversations are around health topics, and the other half is typical life stuff, like work and dating. One of her peers is a woman her age who lives across the country in Pennsylvania and had a spinal stroke the same year but a month earlier than Aldridge.
“There is a lot of engagement going both ways,” says Aldridge. “It is a no-judgment zone. I feel like I can trust her with anything. We understand how each other feels.”
Before her paralysis, Aldridge worked as a preschool teacher. Since she can no longer change diapers, she’s had to adjust her career plans.
“My calling is to work with kids and to help others. I aspire to get back into the classroom,” says Aldridge. She plans to push herself outside her comfort zone to work with older students. She is also working toward driving again.
“I’ve learned that you need to lean on the people you have in your life, and you can’t be afraid to reach out to others. There are a lot of resources out there to help,” says Aldridge. “I’m hopeful that I will walk again, but no matter what, I am so grateful to maintain who I am. I’ll always be such a people-person.”
You can request a Peer & Family Support Program mentor here.