Life Force

The creative power of nature is unsurpassable. How do we manage to draw strength again and again?

"An abscess was pressing on my spinal cord, which resulted in incomplete paraplegia. This happened in June 2003 when I was 22 years old. My life was chaotic before the diagnosis. I had never really found my place in society and had no goals. And then I got the diagnosis of a spinal cord injury. It stretched me to my limits.

After surgery, I was transferred to the Swiss Paraplegic Centre for rehabilitation. Here, I was looked after for ten months and the therapies and activities were good for me. Talking to other patients and experiencing solidarity with them were a great support for me. Gradually I found a perspective and realised that I wanted to find my way back into society. When I reached the point where I’d had enough of all the obstacles, I turned them into goals to overcome. Today I no longer let problems discourage me, but instead I look for solutions. Maybe that’s where my life force is found today."

Weaning people off a ventilation device is one of the core competencies at the Swiss Paraplegic Centre. Manuela Broger is a specialist nurse and head of RespiCare who supports patients on their journey towards breathing independently. She tells us about battles and hope in a situation that is unimaginable for people who have not experienced it.