In April 2002, Kingsville resident Vickie Rosellini fell while volunteering for Habitat for Humanity and was left paralyzed from the waist down, forcing her to give up her successful career in both the ambulance and construction industries. Despite several doctors’ prognoses that she would never walk again, Rosellini, with help from Kennedy Krieger Institute, has seen remarkable improvements in her disability.
Rosellini has continued her charitable work by organizing Stompin’ for the Cure!, a country-style barbecue that takes place on Oct. 4. All proceeds will benefit spinal cord injury research at Kennedy Krieger.
You could have easily let your disability consume you. Why did you make the decision to keep up with your charity work?
Charity work is something I’ve done all my life and I’ve gotten a lot of rewards from it. Kennedy Krieger really inspired me to keep up with the work. I’m 57 years old, I’ve had the chance to be married, have a career. When you go to Kennedy Krieger and see those children, these poor kids that have almost no chance at life, that totally inspired me. I decided to do a fundraiser for research development. I’m getting back on my horse and getting back into my life, and it’s already rewarding.
Has your accident and resulting disability changed who you are as a person?
It’s probably made me a better person. I used to go 150 miles an hour, I did any fundraiser they asked me to, I worked night and day, and I enjoyed it, but I didn’t spend the time at home as a mom and grandmom. The accident made me more of a family person, more loving, more nurturing. I think maybe it was God’s way of telling me, “It’s time to give to your family more than your community.” Right now I have the best of both worlds — I’m at home with my kids and grandkids, and I’m also helping the kids at Kennedy Krieger.
What inspires you the most to keep going?
My family and friends. They just rallied around me. I’m just so blessed. I’ve talked to a lot of people who have been paralyzed, and people say that after about three months, friends start fading away. But everyone was there for me; they still are. Even if I wanted to be depressed, no one would let me do that. People have made so many changes in their lives to accommodate me. It’s been really phenomenal and inspiring.
When I really want to be inspired, I think about the children at Kennedy Krieger. How can I be depressed when those kids have not had the full life that I have?
What message would you want people to take away from your experience?
You really don’t know until it happens to you. What’s really ironic is that when I worked for my ambulance company, I transported paralyzed people, and I always thought I understood how they felt. Boy was I wrong. Until you are in the situation yourself, you don’t know.
Don’t ever give up, be positive, keep your faith, don’t be bitter, don’t ever say no, don’t say you can’t, if someone tells you no, say “Oh excuse ME, I think I CAN!” and plow forward and prove ’em wrong!
