Rowan Martell was involved in a freak accident in 2015. While he was standing at a robot waiting to cross the road, a glass frame fell from the 22nd storey of a building nearby and landed between his shoulder blades, severing his spinal cord. He was rushed to hospital, where doctors soon gave him the news that he had sustained a T4 spinal cord injury.
Martell did not let this get him down and immediately launched himself into rehabilitation. He was integrated back into mainstream employment and soon realised that his mobility was restricted without personal transport. He made a decision to join the innovative QASA Driving Ambitions programme to regain his independence.
Martell already had his licence, so he only had to be reassessed to drive an adapted vehicle. He passed his reassessment on the first attempt and was extremely excited about this achievement. QASA caught up with Martell, who says he’s feeling empowered after obtaining his adapted driver’s licence.
“I would like to thank QASA for allowing me the use of the car to prepare for and do my test. And thank you to Shaun Kanayee for his guidance on the lessons, his tips and tricks,” Martell says. “With his methods, you won’t forget the training.”
QASA is very proud of Martell for achieving his goals and wishes him well on all his ventures. Happy motoring, and remember to Buckle Up!
Ari Seirlis is the CEO of the QuadPara Association of South Africa (QASA) and managing editor of Rolling Inspiration. email: ceo@qasa.co.za
