A distracted driver changed my life forever. I was riding my bike, when the driver struck me and left me paralyzed from the chest down. While I am working hard to adapt to living with a severe spinal cord injury, I also want to learn as much as possible about new research and technology.

A promising area of research is spinal cord stimulation. Both epidural and transcutaneous versions have demonstrated the ability to increase function in people suffering from paralysis. Imagine having not being able to move your hand or foot for years, and suddenly being able to after having this procedure.

Knowing the ability for people like me to be able to walk again could be developed in my lifetime has given me so much hope. Unfortunately, there’s a problem that is preventing more investment and access to these technologies.

Startups and venture capitalist are often critical in ramping up research and bringing a product to market. With a market so small, spinal cord investment can feel too risky to traditional investors, leaving people like me without access to breakthroughs that could change our lives. What could change that is if the two biggest spinal cord foundations invested in these companies, rewarding them for taking a risk on spinal cord injury research and development.

At the moment the two largest spinal cord foundations, one being the Reeve Foundation, only invest in nonprofits. If they broadened investment to any company showing promise, they would encourage more startups and venture capitalists to develop and invest in these technologies as well.

This petition is calling on the Christopher and Dana Reeve and Craig H. Neilsen Foundations to change their policies, and not limit investment in only nonprofits. They should lead the way and allow their foundation to invest in companies that are showing promise in their research and meet their ethical guidelines.

The best way to quickly bring life-changing technology to those who desperately need it is to find a way for more foundations to step up and assist these start up companies. Investment by these foundations could benefit spinal cord injury victims as well as the foundations themselves. Join me in encouraging investment that will benefit those suffering from paralysis.