Ep. 226 - Dare To Rethink w/ Ty Vuong

“Life has handed you new puzzles to solve and an adventure that people rarely experience. But you're never alone. We're in this together.”  Ty Vuong on what he would tell someone who has been newly diagnosed as a quadriplegic.

 

What do we do when our reality suddenly changes in a fundamental way?  

The local news is ripe with stories of horrible accidents and the people who survive them, but how often do we hear the follow up stories?  How often does the word “survivor” carry with it the requirement these people live drastically different lives than the ones they experienced before? 

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to witness the aftereffects of one such story for myself.

Ty Vuong rolled out on stage in a wheelchair and proceeded to speak to me and hundreds of other people in attendance with a calm confidence, encouraging us to move forward in our lives,  no matter the obstacles. 

I was deeply moved and knew at that moment I had to find a way to have him tell his story on the Awkwardly Awesome Podcast.

Some very significant backstory - On October 15th, 2023, Ty had a motorcycle accident where he broke his spine in two places. This made him tetraplegic, more commonly known as quadriplegic, meaning Ty had greatly limited use of both arms and no use of his legs.  

What can you possibly do when something so devastating upends your entire existence?  Ty’s answer is crystal clear:  You simply roll on.

With sheer tenacity Ty is regaining the function of his arms and is now able to use both his arms and hands to manually maneuver his wheelchair.

Sioux Falls Simplified declared Ty Vuong “Everybody’s Best Friend.”  He challenges current perspectives, encourages others to have the curiosity to explore “what is”, and to use science and psychology to implement solutions that celebrate what it is to be human. He has degrees in Psychology Human Factors: User Experience (UX) and feels fulfilled in his role in adjunct instruction at the University of South Dakota. 

Tune in as I have a deeply moving conversation with this truly incredible man.

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**Video broadcast available** on YouTube @imperfectbest

**Learn more about Jason Freeman** at AwkwardlyAwesome.com