A 28-year-old economics graduate of Colorado State University has become an inspiration for individuals with spinal cord injuries after invention a new suspension system for wheelchairs. The graduate suffered a severe spinal cord injury during a 2004 snowboarding accident, which left him a C4 quadriplegic. An individual with a C4 spinal cord injury can retain full head and neck movement, but will often lose functionality below the neck.

The graduate did not let his injury stop him from pursuing his dreams, and two years after his accident, he enrolled at Colorado State University to achieve an undergraduate degree in economics.

How Can Wheelchairs With Suspension Help Individuals With Spinal Cord Injuries?

For five years after his spinal cord injury, the CSU graduate had been using an antenna-propelled manual wheelchair. According to the graduate, he did not want other people on campus pushing his wheelchair around, so he opted to use a powered chair. Then the idea crossed his mind: his powered wheelchair had suspension, but his self-propelled chair did not. After his revelation, he set out to gather support for his new idea.

Suspension on wheelchairs can make for a much more pleasant ride, and the CSU graduate brought his new idea to his professor, who referred him to the Venture Accelerator Program through the Institute of Entrepreneurship, a contest open to business students. His new wheelchair came in first place.

Last year, the CSU graduate became the CEO of his own company located in Fort Collins, QuadshoX, which aims to provide rear-wheel suspension for manual wheelchairs. A Kickstarter campaign has been launched to help fundraise for the company, already raising $20,005 with only 92 backers.

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