The Cody Unser First Step Foundation

So I’ve been a little restless... imagine that. 😏
First, thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who reached out after my recent ER visit for autonomic dysreflexia. The messages, comments, and encouragement meant more than you know. Recovery from my breast reduction surgery has been tougher this time around, and you all have been my extended pit crew helping me through some challenging days. 💜

One thing this experience reinforced is that we still have a long way to go when it comes to disability competency in healthcare. So instead of just being frustrated, I decided to do something about it like always haha.

I just submitted a proposal to present at the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Scientific Assembly in Boston, October 25–28, 2027:

Title: Wheelchair Barbie Goes to the Emergency Room: Autonomic Dysreflexia, Disability Competency, and the Cost of Not Listening

If selected, I’ll share my lived experience as a woman with a spinal cord injury and use autonomic dysreflexia as a case study to explore what happens when patients become the educators, why listening to disabled patients can be a matter of life and death, and how emergency medicine can better serve our community.

For the last decade, I’ve been helping future physicians understand disability through Wheelchair Barbie Goes to the Gynecologist. After my recent ER visit, I started wondering if it’s time for Wheelchair Barbie to make a pit stop in the Emergency Room.

💥 No patient should have to educate the medical team during a medical emergency.

💥 Disability competency is a patient safety issue.

When I see a problem, I have to try to fix it.
Crossing my fingers this proposal gets accepted. I’ll be submitting to more ER conferences. This conversation is too important not to have.

Rock ON, friends. 💜🤘🏁

💜 June is Transverse Myelitis Awareness Month.💜

At 12 years old, I went from playing basketball to becoming paralyzed in less than 20 minutes. The diagnosis was Transverse Myelitis (TM), a rare neuroimmune disorder that changed my life forever.

When I shared my story with U.S. News & World Report in 2015 (link in BIO), I wrote that my race wasn’t over. Eleven years later, and 27 years after my diagnosis, I can tell you that’s still true. The dark days continue to show me that the light ones are brighter and trust me, I’ve seen some dark days.

TM took away the feeling and function of my legs, but it gave me a complex identity and purpose. It led me to advocacy, public health, adaptive sports, scuba diving, disability rights, fighting for reproductive justice and a community that taught me what resilience really looks like. You guys are the best!

This month, I celebrate everyone living with Transverse Myelitis and other rare neuroimmune conditions. Whether you’re newly diagnosed, a longtime survivor, a caregiver, clinician, researcher, or family member…YOU ARE part of this story. Remember, To Get Through This Life, We All Need a Pit-Crew! 💜🤘🏁

If you or someone you love has been affected by TM, know that you are not alone. Resources, research, support groups, and a powerful community exist to help navigate the journey.

Transverse Myelitis Resources:

💜 The Johns Hopkins Myelitis and Myelopathy Center

💜 The Transverse Myelitis Program at UT Southwestern

💜 Siegel Rare Neuroimmune Association (SRNA) 

This Transverse Myelitis Awareness Month:

💜 Connect with others living with TM and related disorders.

💜 Share your story.

💜 Help us raise awareness for better treatments, research, and accessibility

Rare doesn’t mean insignificant.
The race isn’t over. For me. For our community. For the next generation. Rock ON 💜🏁🤘