There’s nothing quite like a good comeback. It’s a testament to the determination of the human spirit, and a reminder of why second chances can be a great thing. The beauty of a comeback is that it happens in many forms. It could be an athlete getting back on the field after a major injury, or a determined older student going back to school to finally earn their degree. For Adam McCullough, it’s finding his way back into the driver’s seat.

For most of his life, Adam, 28, lived without a disability. He grew up in Holmen, WI, and played college football at Macalester College in St. Paul, MN. After graduating, he got a job at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture as a hydrologist, where he’d gather samples of water from lakes and rivers and test what was in them. But on December 26, 2016, Adam was driving home and crashed his car after hitting an icy patch on the road. The accident left him paralyzed from the chest down.

At first, Adam’s main focus was learning how to navigate life in a wheelchair. Simply getting around his parent’s home on his own was a challenge. He set his sights on building strength through physical and occupational therapy, and took part in trial studies for new treatments. Over time, he regained some movement in his hands. As he became more independent, he realized just how much he missed driving.

“Little things pop in your head,” says Adam. “If I want to go to the grocery store by myself, I just don’t have that option. It’s been limiting, you know? I think anyone can picture that.”

Having made so much progress in other areas of his life, he started wondering if there was a way he’d be able to drive again. After talking with his doctor and doing some research, Adam told his TMG IRIS Consultant, Julie, of his new goal. They started this journey by first getting Adam an accessibility assessment to see what he would need to do to drive again. They then got Adam a learner’s permit so that he could practice driving an accessible vehicle. Adam also needed to take a driver assessment to determine the exact equipment he would need in his vehicle so that he could safely and easily drive. Finally, he will have to pass the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) road test to get his license.

Through it all, Adam and Julie have worked closely together. They spent time looking into funding options to cover the driving assessment and equipment, and options to purchase a van. Even when the road got long, they knew that together Adam could reach his goal.

“Julie is there every step of the way,” says Adam. “We educated ourselves and researched everything together. Without Julie, I wouldn’t be talking to you [about driving] right now.”

Of course, Julie is quick to say that Adam has been the driving force behind making all of this happen. His grit and persistence to get back to driving and regain independence is amazing, and she says it’s been wonderful to watch him continue to make progress in many different areas of his life.

“Adam has a passion for self-direction,” says Julie. “He’s coming to me saying ‘This is what I need, this is what I want.’”

In January, Adam was finally able to drive for the first time in two years when he test drove accessible vans to figure out which equipment worked best for him. The driving consultant feels confident that, after a few more sessions, Adam will be able to pass the DMV’s road test and get his driver’s license. He says he was thrilled to be driving his dad around for a change.

As Adam gets closer to getting his license, he’s excited for all the possibilities that will open up. Driving his dogs out to the dog park; getting himself to work on his own; visiting far-away friends. However, more than anything else, he’s simply excited to be behind the wheel again.

“When I get the car, I’ll turn the radio volume up all the way and just drive around by myself for an hour,” says Adam. “My dog will have her head out the window. Me just driving around and torturing people with my singing voice!”

This month marks several important milestones not only for disability advocacy nationally, but also for TMG by Magellan Health in Wisconsin.

On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) into law. This historic piece of civil rights legislation made it illegal to discriminate against someone because of a disability. The ADA has paved the way for people with disabilities to have access to the same opportunities that everyone else has.

This means that public transportation and public accommodations such as schools, restaurants, stores, clinics and theaters must accommodate people who use mobility aids, and must be accessible to those with audio or visual impairments or other types of physical disabilities. It means that children with an intellectual disability can receive a public education with their peers. And, it means that adults with disabilities can ask their employer for reasonable accommodations so that they can perform their job duties and remain active in the workforce. We know that a more inclusive world is a better world, and that’s why we celebrate the progress that’s happened over the nearly 30 years since the signing of the ADA.

We also celebrate Disability Pride in honor of the 40.7 million Americans[i] who have a disability and represent 12.8 percent of the U.S. population. They have valued roles in our communities as artists, advocates, entrepreneurs, athletes, co-workers, neighbors, and friends. Yet, not everyone looks beyond a person’s disability to recognize their ability and talents, and all too often people with disabilities can be invisible to society. That’s why Disability Pride parades and festivals are so important.

The first Disability Pride parades took place in Boston in the early 1990s. Although those initial parades stopped after the death of the lead organizer, Diana Viets, the city of Chicago held its very first Disability Pride Parade on July 18, 2004. Since then, other cities across the country – including New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and, Madison, Wisconsin – have held their own Disability Pride events, with many happening during July to commemorate the signing of the ADA. The focus at these festive events is inclusion and fun, and, to quote Chicago’s Disability Pride webpage, “to promote the belief that disability is a natural and beautiful part of human diversity.” If you have the opportunity, it’s great to take part in one of these empowering and fun events as TMG by Magellan Health staff have done in Madison.

Finally, this month also marks the 10-year anniversary of Wisconsin’s IRIS program, and our partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and other stakeholders since the program began. On July 1, 2008, the state’s fully self-directed Medicaid long-term care waiver, called IRIS (Include, Respect, I Self-Direct), was created to give those who wanted more control and choice in long-term supports and services (LTSS) the chance to self-direct those services. Since then, the state has made the IRIS program available and we have steadily expanded our IRIS Consultant Agency and Self-Directed Personal Care Oversight Agency services to all 72 Wisconsin counties.

Wisconsin is regarded as a leader in self-directed services through the IRIS program. Recently, Applied Self-Direction and AARP published an informative report entitled, Taking it to the Next Level: Using Innovative Strategies to Expand Options for Self-Direction. The report highlights Wisconsin as one of the top four states for innovation in self-direction, along with Texas, Iowa and Florida. TMG is proud to be the original IRIS Consultant Agency and the only IRIS Self-Directed Personal Care Oversight Agency in Wisconsin, and we feel honored to support over 14,500 of the 17,000-plus people enrolled in the IRIS program.

For all these reasons – the anniversary of the ADA, Disability Pride events and the innovative IRIS program – July is indeed a month to celebrate progress in disability advocacy and policy!

[i] United States Census Bureau: American Fact Finder – Disability Characteristic 2016 American Community Survey

By Carol Sickler, Screen Liaison Supervisor, TMG by Magellan Health

April is National Donate Life Month, and in honor of this, we would like to share a story from Carol Sickler, a TMG by Magellan Health Screen Liaison Supervisor. Fourteen years ago, Carol gave a life-saving gift to her brother, and she’s proud to be a living organ donor. Here is Carol’s story.

On March 18, 2004, I donated my kidney to my brother Lee. He had been in kidney failure for a year due to Berger’s disease (also known as IgA nephropathy) and was on dialysis. Berger’s disease causes the kidneys to become inflamed, which can affect how the kidneys filter waste from the blood. Since only 50 percent of people on dialysis live beyond 5 years, Lee’s best bet for long-term survival was to find a new kidney. I wanted to give Lee a fighting chance.

Our dad had also been on dialysis due to what we believed was Berger’s disease (it was never confirmed because he had other health issues, too). Unfortunately, our father was not a candidate for a transplant, and passed away in 2002 at the age of 72. My brother Steve also has Berger’s disease, but fortunately he has not experienced kidney failure (not everyone with Berger’s does).

Lee and Carol Sickler

Since this disease is hereditary, you might be wondering why I decided to donate one of my kidneys – wasn’t I at risk of Berger’s disease, too? Thankfully for me, Berger’s is primarily a disease found in males. It also tends to show up by the time a person is 40, and I was 40 at the time. So, for me, the risk of developing Berger’s disease was relatively low.

When I first considered donating my kidney, there were so many questions that were going through my mind about both of our futures, and if this was the right choice for us. However, my decision was solidified when the doctors at UW Hospital in Madison told us I was a match for Lee. And not just a match, but an identical match, with all six antigens matching as if we were identical twins, even though Lee is seven years younger than me. The doctors were baffled by this and had never experienced anything like this before. For me, though, I knew then that it was part of my life’s path to move forward and give my kidney to my brother. So, fourteen years ago we hugged and went into surgery together, becoming connected in a way we had never before imagined.

Today, we are both fully recovered and doing well. I personally have no regrets, and no health issues or ill effects from the donation. What I do have is an amazing bond with my baby brother Lee – the depth of this bond is unexplainable, and it’s something I would gladly give my kidney for again if I had to. Because organ donations are treatments and not cures, the kidney donation didn’t cure Lee of Berger’s disease, but it has allowed him to live a fulfilling, healthier life off of dialysis. Also, this gift of life allowed him to have a daughter, Jazmyn Carol, for which our entire family is grateful.

For anyone who is interested in becoming a living donor, there are a lot of great resources at both the www.organdonor.gov and at the University of Wisconsin Living Kidney Donor page. One of the most important things to know is that as long as the donor is evaluated thoroughly and cleared for donation, they will most likely lead a normal life after the surgery. And should a health condition arise because of the donation, there is a priority system in place on the National Transplant Waiting List so that living donors move to the top of that list.

I’m grateful that I had the chance to give my kidney to my brother, and love sharing my story in hopes it will inspire others to give the gift of life.