Getting Back to Life

Dr. Jason Kolb has a lot to look forward to. The ER doctor from Kent, Ohio, is turning 50 this year and planning to embark on a slower pace of life.

He’s not only excited about several boating and beach vacations with his family, but he hopes to move from the emergency room to addiction recovery work and write a book about his skiing accident.

“I want to tell my story,” Jason explains. “My goal is to help people get through tragedy and find joy in life—even after a life-changing accident.”

There’s no question that Jason knows a great deal about this particular topic. In January 2023, he was on an annual ski trip to Colorado with a group of friends when he fell about 25 feet and blacked out, attempting to avoid a crowded tubing area full of children.

When he woke up a few minutes later, he knew his diagnosis immediately. “I couldn’t feel my legs,” he says. “As an ER doctor, I knew it was a spinal cord injury. In addition to having multiple fractures and a concussion, I was paralyzed from the waist down. ”

56 Days in Denver

Jason arrived at Craig Hospital one week later for SCI neurorehabilitation and quickly got to work. “For about two months, I worked my butt off, trying to get healthy again,” he recalls. “There was lots of PT, OT, counseling, adaptive driving, wheelchair classes and therapeutic recreation. Increasing my independence was the main goal.”

He adds, “Craig was like Disney boot camp. The hospital was a well-oiled machine with a very kind and helpful culture. I considered it to be the best of humanity at the worst time of my life. I remember feeling so thankful to be in an energetic, optimistic and encouraging place.”

Jason admits to experiencing many bad days for the first few months, but he insists that life does get better with time. “I relied on my faith—as well as support from my family, friends, Craig staff and fellow patients—to get through the difficult times.”

Attaining Recreational Independence Once Again

While working tirelessly on his rehabilitation in Denver, Jason missed life back in Ohio. “I share about 40 acres of land with my brother and parents,” he explains. “So much of my time outside of work was spent enjoying our land. We often walked through our backyard to stroll across my family’s large property, spending time on our lake and participating in outdoor family activities.”

When Jason’s therapists suggested the Action Trackchair, an all-terrain wheelchair that easily moves on hills, rocks, gravel, grass and snow, Jason knew he needed one to be able to access his family’s property. But the cost was prohibitive due to decreased income after his accident.

And that’s where the Craig Foundation’s donor-sponsored Adaptive Equipment Scholarship came into play.

Jason and his wife, Amy, were originally hesitant to apply for any equipment scholarships. “They both had a ‘save it for the next guy’ mindset,” explains Emily Aldridge, a certified therapeutic recreation specialist at Craig.

She adds, “I knew that he would get a lot out of the chair. It will give him independence and decrease caregiver burden, allowing Jason to access the spaces that he enjoyed prior to his injury—without having to rely on someone else. This equipment will lift so much stress off of Jason’s shoulders and give him the peace of mind that he can once again access family events, vacations and recreational independence.”

As soon as Jason was awarded the equipment scholarship, he ordered the Action Trackchair. “Amy and I felt so thankful for the funding. Having this chair will expand my environment and help me feel independent in the settings I loved before my accident,” he says. “This independence will give me a large chunk of my life back. I just want to be a dad and spend time with my family.”