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Overcoming Obstacles

Link To Video: http://blip.tv/professirx/cnn-ireport-news-reel-5204772

My name is Richard Gaskin. In the 1980’s, I was an aspiring Disc Jockey. After sending tapes of my work, I was invited to a New York radio station called the DNA Hank Love Radio Show. In just one year from 1986 to 1987, I mixed at the station, DJ at Latin Quarters and spread tapes of my work to all who requested them. Then jealousy grew within those who I called friends and the one closest to me gave his gun to a boy to shoot me. I was instantly paralyzed from a bullet in my neck. As the years went by I experienced obstacles, felt unattractive, was embarrassed and afraid. In 2004, with the help of family and friends, we filmed my life as a quadriplegic and made a video called A City Called Heaven. While half way into production, my hero who inspired me to open up passed away. I never met him, but his name and fame reached the lives of paralyzed people everywhere. Christopher Superman Reeve. I watched the news and heard he passed and after a long stare at the ceiling with random thoughts, I wrote a song called Forever Superman. My cousin Jahid who takes care of me with my mother, filmed me doing the song in my kitchen and I edited it. I sent the video to his foundation and uploaded it to a forum. His friend, Dr. Wise Young, provides help to others paralyzed. They saw it and invited me to Washington DC to perform at a rally for the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Act. Since that time, I have sit at conferences along side Senator Ted Kennedy, was invited to perform with Dr Wise Young in Hong Kong, met many famous supporters and found that I had a purpose in life. I then took all the video footage and made 30 minute shows that my local television station allowed me to share to bring awareness. I was interviewed and became known within CNN iReport for my stories and situations. My financial savings that I use to help bring awareness and help others paralyzed was becoming low. My family then helped me start a nonprofit so that we can continue working together towards delivering information to others paralyzed, create video shows they can show their talents, provide them with things they need to adapt to their different abilities, provide entertainment and give them something to help distract them from suicide. I thought this cause would bring in funding but the economy wasn’t friendly. We received a grant from the Reeve Foundation in 2009 but since then we felt the economy’s wrath and no longer had money. But I continued to stretch what was left to help a pregnant young lady born with Spinal Biffida with her needs and dreams, as well as try to keep the organization together. In my situation to work and live everyday, it’s a constant hospital-like situation. Needing a close-knit family is how my life turns but once there was no longer any income to perform purpose duties, everyone had to go their separate ways and work. Now I’m doing as much as sitting in my room and only leaving for doctor appointments and groceries. This is the situation where I wanted to save others from, being stuck inside, feeling the walls closing in, your mind undistracted only to see violence, sex and war on television leads to depression and suicidal thinking. I’m hoping my story can find the money I need to revise my work and get a television network dedicated to people like me who can finally relate to something that can save their lives. I just lost a friend to suicide because she no longer wanted this way of life. I’m hoping to bring those who understand my care back in my life and together we work as a unit.

Submitted by Richard Gaskin