Lindsay Ulrey
Lindsay’s entire life changed dramatically when she walked into the ER with severe back pain in late October 2021 that ultimately lead to a complete SCI from T4 level down due to a rare nueroimmune disorder called transverse myelitis (TM). Lindsay had never heard of TM before and was terrified about what this meant for her and her kid’s futures. At the time, Lindsay was juggling being a mom of two boys (aged 2 and 5), running her private practice as a clinical psychologist in a new town (her family moved from Davis, CA to the Tri-Valley in July of 2020), and recently becoming a certified perinatal mental health professional (PMH-C) just 10 days before her TM onset and paralysis. Becoming paralyzed from the bra-line down and becoming a full-time wheelchair user was definitely NOT part of Lindsay’s life plan, but it did happen and she had to figure out how to overcome the biggest challenge in her life while continuing to be a working mom of two young kids.
While in physical rehabilitation, one of Lindsay’s PTs told her to check out NorCal SCI as a resource to support her through this huge transition. Lindsay ended up applying for and receiving the Craig Neilson Foundation grant and this was a huge turning point for Lindsay’s recovery both mentally and physically. From this grant she was able to access four months of physical rehab at an activity based training facility called SCI Fit where she was able to begin working on her physical rehabilitation while also meeting and connecting with other SCI athletes, and even met another woman with TM who lived close to her! This sense of community helped her mental health in a major way. The involvement in this grant along with other NorCal SCI mentors, meet-ups and support groups has been instrumental to Lindsay’s ability to create a community that’s supported her through the challenges she’s faced since her TM diagnosis and paralysis.
Lindsay still sometimes struggles to navigate life as a wheelchair-using mom and a professional in a world that is often inaccessible or uneducated regarding issues around disability and motherhood. She has recently been moved to create and facilitate a support group called “Wheel Good Motherhood” which provides a safe and supportive space for wheelie mamas to join together, share resources and talk some real talk about the daily challenges faced when momming on wheels.
If you’d like to join Lindsay and her community of prospective or current Wheelie Moms on the third Tuesday of the month on Zoom, please register HERE. You can also follow her on Instagram: @wheel.good.motherhood
You can contact Lindsay at drlindsayulrey@gmail.com