Today we’d like to introduce you to Mason Branstrator.
Hi Mason, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
At only 17 years old, the unimaginable happened to me. While out for a normal day of skiing, I went off a ski jump that shattered my spine paralyzing me and changing my life instantly. It was up to me if this was for better or for worse.
Throughout my life, I’ve always loved sports, recreation, and getting outside. These things allowed me to connect with my friends in a healthy and active environment. It was this aspect that I enjoyed the most. I was always the gatherer of my friends, making plans and making sure people felt included. Furthermore, I enjoyed helping my friends whether that be physically or mentally. I knew I wanted to help as many people as possible in the future but didn’t know how.
When I woke up in the ICU, I had no idea what the rest of my life would look like, doctors told me I burst my t12 vertebrae leaving me paralyzed from the waist down. I was told walking again was unlikely. Knowing what I know now, conveying this “prognosis” to me repeatedly was damaging. Nobody knows how a person with a spinal cord injury will recover. After trying to walk again for over a year, I was able to walk 40 feet with crutches, but my walking was not as functional as it needed to be to replace my wheelchair. In turn, I accepted my chair and embraced my new life.
During my entire time in rehabilitation, I got immense amounts of joy from connecting with other paralyzed people. I decided to start sharing my story on social media and YouTube to connect with as many people as possible. After my peers saw how I was adapting to my disability, many reached out and I had the opportunity to connect with hundreds of others with physical disabilities from around the world.
I am finding this to be my current passion. Providing resources and connecting to others in my situation is what I love to do! It makes my accident seem as though it were for the best. I also create my videos in a way that educates nondisabled people. I want everyone to be a part of my community and I encourage you, the reader, to take part in my journey.
I would also like to thank everyone in the Minnesota area and beyond for the overwhelming support you all showed me on my caring bridge, go-fund me, and social media. Every letter and message has meant so much.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Although I make it look easy, being paralyzed is far from easy to deal with. It is taxing both mentally and physically.
For example, using the bathroom takes 2-3x as long as the average person. Getting in the car takes around a minute and navigating uneven terrain can become impossible. This is just the beginning of the many things that are not seen and not understood by just a glance at me.
Serious physical trauma has also taken a toll on me mentally. At first, I was so focused on walking again that I had no time to slow down and begin to understand what it all meant for my life. After doing some public speaking about my accident, I became more aware of the seriousness of my injury and the trauma that my mind and body endured.
Because my accident was due to a choice I made, I felt that it was less significant than some of the stories I heard from others who were injured. However, my injury was life-changing nonetheless. Speaking about it made me aware of this fact. I have made the choice that I will not sit around and feel sorry for myself.
I will continue to process my accident for my whole life, I am sure, yet at the same time, I plan to turn this trauma into triumph.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I share what life as a wheelchair user is like through videos. From documenting things like getting in the car to giving an in-depth description of how my paralyzed body can still walk I try to share it all. I am most proud of the number of people just like me that I’ve been able to connect with and share resources.
Without my online presence, I would have never gotten to know them. What sets me apart from other wheelchair users online is my fearlessness to do things despite my disability. It is my goal to be as independent as possible and to show others how to do the same.
What makes you happy?
Community is what powers me. This became even more apparent after my accident when I met fellow spinal cord-injured people. Connecting to others with similar struggles and being able to share wisdom deeply fulfills me. I plan to attend Denver University which is 7 minutes away from Craig Hospital where I went to rehab and where more than 300 new spinal cord injury patients pass through each year. It will be the perfect environment for me to ingrain myself into the disability community.
I also enjoy working out. The ability to play soccer and run was taken from me when I broke my back. I was devastated at this loss and needed something to replace these activities. I quickly found new ways to work out and be competitive. I started going to the gym and trying adaptive sports including, tennis, basketball, pickleball, cross-country skiing, and biking to name a few. I even decided to do a triathlon and am currently training for the Olympic distance timber man triathlon on July 8th. Consisting of a 1-mile swim, a 25-mile bike, and a 6-mile run. These things help me feel normal again.
Finally what makes me the happiest is when someone tells me how much I have helped them by just sharing my story. This is exactly why I do what I do!
Pricing:
- Phone case on my website for 30$
Contact Info:
- Website: masonsnextsteps.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/mason_branstrator?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mason.branstrator?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-branstrator-a6a4a7271
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/masonbrans?s=21&t=SmKwZiyktRaSM3pxku6FYQ
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@mason_branstrator
