"The sky can't be the limit when there are footprints on the moon."

Today in one of our occupational therapy classes, we had a guest speaker named Fletcher Cleaves. Fletcher Cleaves is a Memphis native who has suffered from a spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis from the chest down classifying him as a quadraplegic. Fletcher had so much going for him as a young and successful athlete. He had been working years to get to where he was and in just a moment, it was all lost. As Fletcher was giving his story on how he overcame his situation, I was so honored to be in the presence of someone so amazing. He took a tragedy and turned it into a testimony, and I think he is absolutely incredible. One point Fletcher pointed out was just how crucial his rehabilitation team was while he was on the road to recovery. He made sure to tell us as future occupational therapists to always encourage our clients. He pointed out how important it is to be positive and to believe in someone because that definitely helps during recovery. "Be realistic but also be encouraging" is a statement he told us as a class. I found his perspective on the importance of occupational therapists after experiencing such a traumatic experience a very helpful one as I continue my education and eventually practice on my own one day. Remembering to never give up on someone will make a huge difference and who knows what all they can accomplish despite the odds being against them.