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Before my accident, I moved through the world without a second thought. I was quick on my feet, graceful enough to be compared to a dancer, and I could still outrun my kids on a good day. Now, even getting out of bed starts with strapping on my prosthetic before I take that first step.
The motorcycle accident didn’t make me an amputee overnight. Fourteen surgeries tried and failed to save my leg, leaving me in relentless pain. On November 1, 2023, I made the choice to amputate below the knee.
That decision wasn’t an ending — it was a beginning. It gave me back the chance to play with my kids, to travel, and to live in ways I had been told weren’t possible anymore.
Travel looks different now — and that’s the point. I’ve navigated airports in a wheelchair, balanced on a walker, and now move with a prosthetic. None of those tools mean I’ve stopped living. They mean I’ve adapted. Too often I see people in the amputee community posting that “life is over” after limb loss. I refuse to believe that.
Accessibility, though, is still an uphill battle. What’s labeled “accessible” on a brochure often turns out to be anything but. I’ve checked into hotels where the so-called roll-in shower was closer to an obstacle course, and I’ve dealt with elevators “out of order” just when I needed them most.
There are wins, too. At the AC Hotel in Huntsville, the roll-in shower actually worked, and the staff offered a sensory kit complete with ear defenders and a weighted blanket. For once, accessibility felt intentional — not just a box to check.
That’s why I started Phoenyx Travels — to share what works, what doesn’t, and to push for accessibility to be a priority, not an afterthought. Disabled travelers shouldn’t have to spend hours digging through reviews and trial-and-error just to plan a simple weekend away.
I don’t call what I do “brave.” Traveling with a disability isn’t about being inspirational — it’s about claiming the same freedom, independence, and dignity everyone else expects by default. And when destinations get accessibility right, it benefits everyone.
The obstacles are real, but the victories are worth chasing. I’ll keep telling the truth about both until accessible travel no longer needs quotation marks — and until inclusion stops being optional.
Phoenyx