People who are faced with a serious physical trauma such as spinal cord injury have a hard time dealing with recovery, impairment, and adjusting to the challenges of daily life, and a support system can be incredibly useful to their well being. This also applies to their partners, who often bear huge responsibilities for the care of a disabled significant other. And much of the time, these people, who are massively important for the emotional and physical support of their partner, have few outlets for their own emotional encouragement.
A group of women have grouped together in order to help ease the emotional load that many feel when taking care of an injured companion. WAGS for SCI is the acronym for Wives and Girlfriends of Spinal Cord Injury, which is a support network for women who live with partners that have sustained such injuries.
Brooke Paige and Elena Pauly, two women that found one another while seeking support on the Internet, founded the group. Brooke’s husband was injured from a work accident, and Elena’s boyfriend was injured during a vacation. Both women felt isolated and alone in their circumstances, having few other friends and peers in similar situations. Brooke met Elena on Instagram, and the two decided to proactively engage with other women.
The idea is to empower other women who’s partners are wheelchair bound, and it has been extremely helpful. Having a place where they can see that they are not alone, and sharing stories and giving advice is a huge boost for morale. The group also connects people in the area with one another, so they don’t feel so isolated. Ultimately, this support improves the outlook of the members, allowing them to live life in a fulfilling way, and giving their partners the love they need.
