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October 2005
MEDIA ADVISORY 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF TRAVIS ROY’S 1995 ACCIDENT – OCTOBER 20, 2005 Thursday, October 20, 2005 marks the 10th anniversary of Travis Roy’s 1995 accident. As you recall, Travis Roy, then 20, was paralyzed from the shoulders down due to spinal cord injuries suffered just eleven seconds into his first college hockey game at Boston University. Televised nationwide, Travis’ injury and its aftermath drew intense media interest and an incredible outpouring of support from across the country. Due in large part to the courage of Travis Roy and the exceptional dignity and strength the entire Roy family showed following the accident, that interest has continued to this day. Now 30, Travis Roy has shown courage, strength and unyielding optimism in the face of a devastating disability. With control of only his right bicep, he is able to conduct simple yet key tasks such as operating the joystick of his electric wheelchair. Despite living every day with the effects of life as a quadriplegic, Travis returned to Boston University to complete his degree in public relations and now lives on his own, with the aid of round-the-clock attendants, in Boston. His accomplishments since that fateful day in 1995 have been numerous. In 1997, his published a book, Eleven Seconds, based on his life before and after the accident that changed its course. The book will soon be re-released with an additional chapter. In 1998, he founded the Travis Roy Foundation (www.travisroyfoundation.org), a 501(c)(3) organization that distributes grants to spinal cord injury survivors in financial need and supports research. Travis has also launched a successful career as a motivational speaker, and has made several appearances as a college hockey television commentator for WMTW-TV8 in Portland, ME and for ESPN. He has also used his name recognition to urge expanded research, addressing both the US Congress and the MA legislature. TRAVIS ROY FOUNDATION: The Travis Roy Foundation distributes grants to paraplegics and quadriplegics in financial need to help them purchase the items and technology to live more independent lives. Examples of eligible items include upgrade and maintenance of wheelchairs, grants to assist in van purchases, vehicle modifications (i.e., hand controls or lifts), home modifications (including ramp and elevator installation), exercise equipment and other adaptive equipment. The Foundation also supports research into an eventual cure for spinal cord paralysis. For more information, visit the Travis Roy Foundation online at www.travisroyfoundation.org. ____________________________________________
STATEMENT BY TRAVIS ROY REGARDING 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF 1995 INJURY
Boston University Athlete Injured Eleven Seconds Into First College Hockey Game on October 20, 1995 “With the month of October upon us, it is impossible for me not acknowledge the fact I've been paralyzed for 10 years. When I look back to those first few days after my accident and how bleak I felt my future was, I am amazed at how far I've traveled. I feel good about how far I've personally come the past 10 years. It makes me proud to think that I returned to Boston University less than a year after my accident and graduated in four years. Since that time, I have had opportunities that I never could have imagined back then, from launching a career as a motivational speaker to writing a book and doing college hockey color commentary for ESPN and WMTW-TV8 in Maine. I am most proud though of the work we have done through the Travis Roy Foundation. With your help, we are able to help spinal cord injured survivors in financial need and to fund vital research. The work the Foundation has done over the past eight years gives me a great sense of accomplishment, but I also know that we have a great deal of work left to do. “While I am pleased with how far I have come personally since first being injured in 1995, I couldn't be more disappointed with the slow pace of the research towards a cure since that time. I feel strongly that the researchers we have working on a potential cure are heading in the right direction, but we are not supplying them with all the tools that they need to see it through. Stem cell research has become a controversial topic, but with more thorough education about the research itself and its potential benefits, it need not be. My personal stand on stem cell research whether it's embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells, or somatic cellular nuclear transfer, so called therapeutic cloning, is that US scientists and researchers should be free to investigate all avenues. This is the only way we will truly be able to find the answers we seek. Where you stand on the issue of stem cells is an intensely personal one, and I encourage everyone to educate themselves fully before making a decision one way or another. So many people could be helped by discoveries as yet unmade, and I encourage you to contact your state representatives to help move this vital research forward. We have wasted too much time already. “In 1995 when I was a freshman at Boston University, this is not the life I imagined I would have. As positive as I try to be in my day-to-day life, there are many times when I'm simply sick and tired of being paralyzed. It took me several years, but my personal life has settled down to a point where I now know what to expect from one day to another. My days still consist of 24-hour home care assistance, making sure I have my medical supplies and prescriptions filled, and most importantly, making sure my medical bills get paid. I realize though how lucky I am to have good insurance to prevent my disability from becoming a burden to my family. I am one of the fortunate ones. A majority of people living with paralysis do not have adequate insurance or financial support. Most are unemployed. Many do not have strong family support or the resources necessary to return to their homes following their injuries. How difficult their lives must be. I am also saddened to know of the many paralyzed soldiers that are coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq to uncertain futures. I dread the phone calls I get telling me of somebody who was recently paralyzed and asking if I could please visit them or speak to their families. I'm happy to help in anyway I can, but it breaks my heart to know that another person and their family has had their world turned upside down. “I now happily live in Boston. There is a lot of pride involved for anyone when you first move out of your parents house after college but even more so when you have a major disability. I've spent the last couple of years building my career as a motivational speaker. I have had many unique experiences, both before and after my accident, and I enjoy sharing these experiences, and more importantly the lessons I've learned from them, to audiences young and old. I've seen firsthand the power of goal setting, the difference a positive attitude can make, and the importance of taking time to reflect every once in awhile to make sure you're headed in a direction that is making you happy. “I also recently had a chance to update my book, Eleven Seconds. I have been amazed to see that it continues to sell eight years after it was first published. My main goal after my injury was to find a way to become a productive member of society. With the book, the Travis Roy Foundation and a career as a motivational speaker, I feel that I am living that goal. I am as hopeful today as I was a decade ago that a cure will be found. The more access scientists have to all avenues of research and the more money we can raise, the quicker that cure will come. I live with that hope, but my life is not on hold until the day it comes. There is too much to do in the meantime. “Lastly, I would like to thank all of you who have said prayers for me over the years. I feel those prayers have been answered many times over. I would also like to thank all of you who contributed to the Travis Roy Fund early on and those who now support the Travis Roy Foundation. You have impacted my life and the lives of those who have benefited from the Travis Roy Foundation in ways you can’t imagine.” -30-
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