July 26, 2023 • 28 mins
Tonight's Guest is John McAleavey. We will be exporing how is life has been impacted by a spinal cord injury. His journey of healing, hope, and giving back. Known for his Podcast: Quadcast:
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Lot Host, Lot host. Hi everyone, and welcome back to
Insight into Healing. My name is Alexa Servo Didiona, I'm
your host. Thank you so much for tuning in each
week and sending in your questions to Insight into Healing
(00:20):
at gmail dot com. Well, tonight's episode is so powerful.
Tonight I have John McLevy. His story is a story
of struggle, strength and resilience. Through his journey in life,
he has been able to move forward and become an
inspiration to many. It is my honor to introduce John mcilvavy.
(00:42):
Thank you so much for joining us this evening and
so happy to have you here on Insight into Healing.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
It is my pleasure, Alexa, I thank you for the
opportunity to speak with you and your audience.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Absolutely no. One of my past guests, Eric Aaron Alter,
who has been on the show numerous times and the
Alexa Show, connected us and he explained to us your
story and everything of you moving forward, and I just
said I have to have you on the show. So
if you could just still in my listeners, Where is she?
Where did your story begin?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Well? Eric and I grew up on the mean streets
of Short Hills, New Jersey and we both went to
Melbourne High School. Eric was a couple of years behind me.
I burned in nineteen hundred and eighty six. From there,
I went to Providence College in Rhode Island and was
(01:35):
kind of trying to figure out what I wanted to
do with my life. And once I got into school,
I had a friend that was doing an internship at
a local television station. She was working in the sports department,
and I was always a sports guy. Eric will tell
you I played a number of sports in high school,
and if I wasn't on the field or the court,
I was watching them. And I thought, Hey, if I
(01:57):
could find a job where I get paid to watch sports,
because I knew I wasn't going to be playing professionally,
then I said, that sounds like it's for me. So
I interned at a local ABCTV affiliate in Rhode Island
for three years and got tremendous experience. So when I graduated,
I was ready built to work at a TV station,
(02:21):
and so I got a job right out of school
at a place called Sports News Network. It was down
in Arlington, Virginia, and I worked four o'clock in the
afternoon to three o'clock in the morning when all the
games were over, and then I had an hour drive home.
So those nights were harry, to say the least. And
so I had really gotten bitten by the bug. And
the company was great. Unfortunately, we went bankrupt in about
(02:42):
nine months, and so I was back out looking for
a job. And at the time, this is the early nineties,
the gold standard was ESPN, and I really wanted to
work at ESPN. And I went to a job fair
in San Diego in June of ninety two and there
were six hundred people that were there and they interviewed
two people and I was lucky enough to get one
of the interviews, and I thought I did really well.
(03:05):
And again that was June of nineteen ninety two. August
rolls around, and unfortunately, on August nineteen, I had gone
to bed that night and I woke up in the
middle of the night and I wasn't feeling well, and
I thought, you know, I was living in the basement
at the time, back in my home. I thought, you know,
I had probably better go upstairs and get my parents
(03:27):
to maybe take me to the hospital because I just
don't feel good. And Alexa. From there, I can remember
walking towards the stairs and feeling like I was going
to faint, and then that's all I remember. I don't
remember my basement steps, and I don't remember falling down,
but I fell down the complete flight of steps, and
I wake up at the bottom and I am completely
(03:49):
paralyzed from head to toe. And at that point I
could hear my father coming down the stairs, and I
really didn't have any you know, breaths. I didn't really
have much vital lung capacity because my injury was so
high on my spinal cord that all I could do
was whisper to him, you know, don't touch me. Don't
touch me, because oftentimes if you try to move people,
(04:10):
you can you can make something worse. And so that
was pretty much the beginning of my new life. I
was twenty four years old and the Milburn First Daid
squad brought me up to Overlook Hospital and there my
journey as a newly spinal cord injured individual began.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Wow, you are really a conscious a lot, and you've
been able to use this which is so empowering, which
is so amazing. Why I've also wanted to have you
on the show because so many times these horrific events
happen and it's hard to try to understand.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Why or explain why.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
But I think the importance of that journey for you,
of resilience and how you've kept moving forward.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
What was that like for you?
Speaker 1 (04:54):
What did you use to help you kind of keep
moving forward and find that hope?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Yeah, well, I'll tell you early on that hope was
hard to find, you know. I mean here, I was
just just the night before my accident. I was down
at the running through through town, running around the track
at Melbourne High School, four or five miles and then
all of a sudden, you know, and in a span
of about twelve hours, I can't wiggle my toes and
I can't, I can't do anything like that, and so
(05:23):
it takes a while. I must say, it was not
something that I was ready to take this time, because
you know, these injuries, they affect you so much physically.
Like I mentioned to you, I couldn't wiggle my toes,
I could, I could hardly breathe. And you know, final
court injuries, anything below the level of your injury, the
(05:45):
muscles are going to be affected. And you know, two
of the bigger muscles in our body that people don't
like to talk about, are you bow and bladder and
so you lose all you know, all of that, so
you can't have trouble with that, and you have you
know whether it's somebody's going to walk or whether they're
going to be able to feed themselves, and so all
of that takes its toll on you physically. But these
(06:06):
injuries really affect you almost more so mentally because you're
trying to think, you know, how am I going to
be able to do all these things again? And you
have to Number one, have a strong family, which I
had in spades. My family is amazing. My father was
the quarterback and he made sure that anybody that came
into my room had a smile on their face and
(06:28):
a positive attitude. And he was my rock and my hero.
Unfortunately we lost him in twenty fifteen, but he was
the man. And my sister Susan, who to this day
is my biggest cheerleader, who doesn't let me have a
bad day and is constantly pushing me, telling me you
can do it, you can do it, even at times
when I don't think I can. And my mom, you know,
(06:51):
your mom is always with you and she has she
has bent over backwards in more ways than one to
help me out through the So you need a strong
family behind you and great friends. There were oftentimes when
I was at Kesler, i did my rehabilitation at Kessler
Institute for Rehability.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Hope. See it's still there. I think we lost you
there for a second. Yes, So you know, I think
it's really important as we hear John speaking the importance
of that struggle. And sometimes when those times, if I've
spoken so many times on the show, when it seems
times can be so dark, when it's so hard to
(07:38):
lift your head up sometimes, or when you don't see
that light at the end of the tunnel, that it's
okay to start visualizing that there can be that hope
and that light. And John, welcome back. And it's been
so amazing to be able to hear your story but
also to really hear your strength. And I think so
(07:59):
many times we don't really realize right away what our
journey is going to be moving forward, but it's finding
that hope and rebuilding that hope. And maybe we don't
know what it looks like in this new chapter, but
being able to find.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
It it does. Yeah, you have to because you know Alexa.
I mean, the way I look at it is we
all have one bite at the apple. You know, we're
all here for however many years we're going to be
here for. And I had some friends with Kessler that
chose to go down the rabbit hole and are just
(08:35):
bitter and can't accept it and can't move on, and
they just stay in their room. They didn't go to therapy,
and they really just weren't getting with the program, if
you know what I mean. And so I just am
somebody that I like to wake up on the sunny
side of the street all the time, against all odds,
because I know that when my feet hit the floor
(08:55):
in the morning, my day is just beginning. And it's hard.
I mean, I can tell you, I tell you know,
my friends sometimes like you wouldn't believe, just you know
what what I'm dealing with here and with with people
like me or are dealing with. And so I just
decided I'm not going to go down that route, and
(09:15):
I'm gonna put on a happy face and I'm gonna
I'm gonna make the most of what I have. And
that is what I've been trying to do with with
the peer mentorship that I do. I'm the peer Peer
Counseling coordinator at Kessler these days, and it's my job
to go into rooms where people have just had life
altering accidents or falls or you know, we have injuries
(09:40):
of all types, whether it's car accidents or gunshots or
falls and that type of thing. And they're there probably
within the first, you know, two or three weeks of
this happening to them, and they're there to rehab, but
they're also there to have their minds rehab. And that's
sort of where I come in, and I go into
the room and I explain that we offer something where
(10:03):
we can maybe find someone who has a similar injury
to the one that they have sustained, but that has
been living in the community with it for a number
of years and has kind of figured out, you know,
what life is all about again, sort of one way
to skin a cat that was more than one way
to skin a cat. That was something that my occupational
therapist told me all these moods ago. And we offer
(10:26):
that because we tell them it's one thing to be
able to talk to your doctor or your therapist, even
your family members able bodied people, but you know, they
might have compassion and they love you, but they don't
necessarily know what you're going through, whereas I could bring
somebody in who has a similar injury that knows exactly
what they're going through and what their future for them
might look like, and that it can be a fulfilling
(10:48):
life and it's something that they can.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Do with the game changer of what you're talking about
is being able to reach them where they are mentally
and where they are emotionally, because yes, of course the
physical part is a huge chapter of it, but I
think it's also the mental and the emotional and being
able to reach that person to start building their spirits
or start to bring some of those spirits and that
(11:13):
hope out and being having someone to speak to them
who's gone through that. So your role is really that
game changing moment because we hear so many times in
people's stories, whatever they have had to go through, there
usually are those one or two people that they have
met that have spoken to them in one of their
darkest days, in their darkest moments that they remember has
(11:35):
given them that Wow, even though they might not want
to hear it, they were able to get that glimpse
of hope and saying, wow, I have someone here that's
on my team.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Yes, And I have to tell you one thing that's
been really cathartic for me is as I mentioned earlier on,
I was a big sports guy growing up. I had
a friend that asked me to help him out. He
was starting to coach youth basket ball in Milburn, and
he asked me to come and, you know, help him out.
And I thought, she's I can't hold a basketball anymore,
(12:07):
let alone dribble one. And I really have a hard
time walking. I mean, I thought, what help could I be?
And I went that first day, and you know, I
really didn't do very much. And you know, the next
day I went back, and you know, as the weeks
went by, I would interject things here and there because
I knew the game and I loved the game. And
then by the end of the season, I was, you know,
(12:29):
really a big part of the whole thing. And then
the next year he told me he got really busy
at work and he had to go. So it's like,
all right, now you're the man, and so I was
the I became the head coach and I did that
for twenty years and it was a labor of love,
and I telled the boys. I said, any joy that
you guys got out of the season, I got tenfold
from from you know, having that athletic background and that
(12:52):
competition that I lacked when I didn't you know, when
I didn't have my legs and my arms to really
take part in stuff like that anymore. And so I've
gotten I've gotten numerous emails and cards over the years
from from parents telling me that, you know, their son
learned a lot about basketball, but they also learned a
(13:13):
lot more about what life is like with having someone
like me coaching them and being around them and you know,
not you know, giving into what the situation was, but
to just live live the life that I had and
without having any drawbacks. And so that was always something
that has stood out to me and.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Absolutely and those those children on that basketball team really
learned what life is really about. I mean, it really
puts things in perspective. And those are one of those,
you know, as they say, priceless moments that money can't buy.
That's something that you know, that's something that they have learned,
that that gift no one else could ever give them.
And I think it's so important that they'll be able
(13:58):
to use that to pay it forward, but that you
were able to use your experience and pay it forward.
And you also have a podcast that is just amazing
and really helping so many people tell us about that.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Yes I do, and I thank you for asking. I have.
As I said in the beginning, I'm sort of a
frustrated sports guy and a communicator, and so back when
COVID hit and everybody was stuck in their house, it
was kind of like, Okay, what am I going to
do with my time? And for years and years and years,
(14:32):
I used to tell all my friends at Kesler when
I would go back for outpatient therapy, I said, you know,
I'm going to start a podcast and I'm going to
call it the Quadcast. And everybody got a kick out
of that, because technically the level of my injury, I'm
considered a quad. So then I would go back and
I would see them six months later and they'd say, hey,
how's that thing going? And I said, well, I don't
(14:54):
have the equipment, or I don't have this, or I
don't have that. Well, finally, when COVID rolled around, I said,
you know what, I'm just going to buy a life laptop.
I got a good laptop, and I was able to
download some software. I bought a good microphone and I
just said, I'm going to go for it, and I
had no idea really what I was doing. I put
together a phrase that I said that this podcast is
(15:14):
mainly for and about folks like me who have had
their lives affected by a spinal cord injury, but is
really for anyone who just wants to be inspired. And
I call it a thirty to forty five minute session
of OT and PT for the soul. And what I do,
Alexa is I look for folks who have had themselves
spinal cord injuries and have gone on to do amazing
(15:37):
things in spite of them from wheelchairs, some of them
most of them from wheelchairs, a lot of them very
high quads who have really no control over their legs
or their arms. But folks who have gone on Shark
Tank and actually gotten money from the sharks and have
started two and three different businesses. It's a multimillionaire. I've
(15:59):
also had an NFL football player joined me. Mike Utley
was injured back in the late nineteen eighties on the
football field that had my friend Eric Legrand, who folks
in New Jersey might recognize that name. He was injured
playing football for Rutgers University a number of years ago
and has gone on to do some amazing things, and
(16:20):
then you know, just some other people. I use the
term necessity is the mother of all invention. People who
for one reason or another aren't able to do anything
any longer, and so they invent something that will help
them to accomplish the past and have started businesses that way.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
And I think that's so incredible because you know, sometimes
when you don't know what else could there be that
intuition at being able to be creative and doing something.
And I find that, especially with podcasts and shows, the
audience really draws to that. They want to know the truth.
They want to also hear someone who is vulnerable but
(16:57):
also is passionate and inspiring and can share that story
so people can relate to it in their own struggle
in their own life to be able to be inspired
to know what I remember that moment when I really
feel like I couldn't move or feel like I couldn't
emotionally do anything, and being able to use these moments
in these different shows and episodes to help them get
(17:20):
through those tough times and then especially during COVID was
an incredible time for these shows and podcasts to be
out because so many people found them. They almost had
to have the time. They had too much time, and
they had to start researching ways of being inventive or
also being able to pass time, but to find what
was going on with them. If they couldn't go see friends,
(17:41):
or if they couldn't go into therapy, or they didn't
have their job or something to distract them. They needed
that moment to themselves for a while to be able
to say, Okay, what's inside of me?
Speaker 3 (17:50):
What comes for me?
Speaker 1 (17:51):
And sometimes those are the most beautiful gifts and stories
and inventions that are out there.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Absolutely, and the idea was to record these for newly
injured folks so that they could see that, yeah, my
lot in life right now is not what I thought
it would be, well not what I wanted it to be.
And you know, for all intents and purposes, it's going
to be a tough life. But again, it's not the
end of the world, and it beats the alternative. And
(18:19):
then I started thinking it can also be for folks
like me. This August nineteen will be thirty one years
since I had my accident, and it could be for
people who have been injured for a number of years
that they could see that hey, listen, I could still
do something with what I have here if I put
my mind to it again. Any sort of inspirational stories.
(18:39):
As I said, it's mainly for folks who've had spinal
cord injuries, but for anybody that just wants to be inspired.
And you know who can't be inspired hearing story about
somebody who who is completely paralyzed from head to toe
but sits in board meetings and is the head of
a company. And I have a friend who started a
shoe company because he couldn't get shoes on, and now
(19:01):
he's got a huge shoe company and he's affecting not
only his world but everybody else's. And so it's you know,
picking up the pieces and moving along with what you
still have.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Yes, yes, and yes it's a hard journey when we
have to pick up the pieces and move forward. But
I think the most important piece while going through it
is knowing that it can be done. Yes, it's not
it might not be easy. Yes, it's not going to
happen overnight, but that's okay. Some of those are the
best things that come out of it, that take that
(19:35):
time that you're able to cultivate and really bring your
heart and soul into it so others can hear it
and feel that and be able to have it ring
true for them. How can we find your show? Where
is it airing? How can people follow you?
Speaker 2 (19:51):
People can find my show. They can find all of
my episodes on my websites, which is www dot quadcast.
That's q U A D B A s T dot org,
quadcast dot org. And then you can also find me
on Facebook. The name is John McLevy. I'll spell that
(20:14):
it's mc capital A L E A V as in
Victor E y. And then I'm also on Instagram. I
have a couple of accounts on Instagram. One is T
D Johnny fourteen. That's T D J O h n
(20:35):
n Y fourteen, and then the other one is t
quadcast and that's q U A D D A S T.
I'm also on Twitter and it's John J. Mclev uh
and I also have an account for my quadcast on
Twitter as well. I'm pretty new to all of this
(20:56):
social media stuff. I know, Alexa, we didn't have any
of this stuff when I was a kid. Growing up
in the dark ages in the eighties, and so I
have my niece and nephew helped me out with all
of that. But I'm confusing, right, I don't even know
what I'm saying. All these different things.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
They didn't have it when I was growing up beat it.
I had to learn all of this and say, okay,
let's see what happens, especially during shows as I was. Also,
I'm all phone actress, and sometimes the show must go on.
We don't ever know what's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Yeah, we don't have elecity right when we were kids.
Oh yeah, electricity was just coming around. Oh that's so funny.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
One other thing, glad.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Also, yeah, what's next for me? You know what I'm
trying to do is I am actually trying to get
into recording voiceovers. I'm trying to get into the voiceover
world because back in the day, my occupational therapists told me, John,
you can't dwell on what does not work for you anymore.
(21:59):
And for me, my injury is an interesting one. It's
very high on my spinal cord, but my upper body
is oftentimes has been more affected than my lower body.
It's called central cord syndrome. And they told me to
think of myself as an upside down para. Now, you know,
with paraplegics, their legs don't work, so they're in wheelchairs.
(22:20):
In my case, they said, John, you'll probably walk, but
you'll have little to no use of your upper body.
And they were really true with that. I really have
little to know use of fine motor skills, like I
can't do buttons and zippers and shirts. I can't lift
my arms up over my head. I really can't do
much with that. So one thing that still works for
(22:41):
me is that I can accentuate. I joke around with people.
Is my big mouth. So I started doing the podcast
one and I'm also looking to do some recording of
voiceovers if I can. So if there's anybody else in
my mind.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
You must have read my mind, because I was going
to literally, honestly, I was going to tell you you
have the perfect voice for podcasts, and I was going
to say, you're really look into doing some more, maybe
look into voice over other type of work, because you
have that voice. It's very polished, it's very clear. I
support you totally. There anyone who's listening, you're ready.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Yeah, please, if you, if you if there's anyone out
there that that agrees with Alexa and likes these velvety tones. Please,
by all means I would be I would be more
than happy to oblige, because it's again, it's something that
you know I can do here in the house. I
have the software where I can. I can if you
(23:41):
send me the AD copy, I can read that, and
that can put music on things. I have a producer
that can help me out with that sort of thing.
And not only that, my long term Social Security disability
checks don't go all that far. So if I can
generated a couple of extra ducats from doing that, then
then all the better.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
That would be great, absolutely, And I think it's so
incredible just your passion and your excitement, and also all
the different careers, all the different avenues that you are
taking are very impressive and I find very very inspiring.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
Before the end of the show, we have a few
minutes left. What would you.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Say to any of my listeners that are here and
they're struggling or they're feeling a little hopeless, and they're saying, why,
I don't know what this all means, what's the next step?
What would you say to them?
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Well, I would say that they need to reach out
for people that have their back, whether that's family members
or friends. I would also say that those people that
they reach out for need to be positive. You don't
want to be surrounding yourself with people who are negative
because you know, I use the term going down the
(24:52):
rabbit hole. It's very easy to go down the rabbit
hole and have what they like to call pity parties,
and you can't. You know, you can have every once
in a while, but you can't wallow in pity and
in sorrow and woe is Me type of the thing.
So I would say I would surround myself with people
who are are positive and they are going to have
your back. And then the other thing is I would say,
(25:14):
you have to occupy your mind. You have to be
involved in something, whether that's reading a book or listening
to a podcast, or getting out of your house and
opening up that circle where you're catching up with old
friends or making new friends, maybe working on a project
something like that. I think idle time is what if
(25:36):
I say, the devil's playground type of thing. Yes, yes, yeah,
so I think that those are all things. And you know,
as I'm saying, I'm you know, looking pointing the finger.
Speaker 4 (25:47):
Back at me, I need to I need to take
myself up on some of that, on some of that
or what I said there, because I know that I
need to get involved with catching up with some old
friends more.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
But I think that those are some things that could
be a start. You know, it could be a start people.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Absolutely, and you never know when you take those first
steps in those and sometimes people don't think, oh, what's
that going to make an impact?
Speaker 3 (26:08):
It does. It makes a huge impact, and it's.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Taking those first steps and being able to say, who
knows what's going to come out of it. I always
find other doors open networking. You know, there's always something
that could come out of it, and you never know
who you're gonna meet and never find out about yourself.
That's something that really is like, Wow, I'm good at this.
I feel passionate about this. I could do something like this.
(26:32):
And I'm so happy Eric connected us and I'm so
excited to keep hearing more and more about you and
to listen to your podcast more and just have you
back on the show. So again, thank you so much
for coming out. It was such an honor to have
you on my show and hear your story.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
You're welcome, Alexa. It was my pleasure. I appreciate the
opportunity and as I said, you know, we're all in
this together, and if we can help our fellow men
and woman out, then all the more up for that.
And so again, thank you for the opportunity. I look
forward to keeping up the dialogue with you in the future.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Absolutely, and it's.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Also gat you know you Rick. I have to say
thanks to Eric also much more. He'll love it.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Thank you, Eric, thank you.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
You know he loves shout out. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
And what an incredible way. Tonight is my last show
of the summer season. I'll start back again in September,
but what an incredible way to end this season of
Insight into Healing with such hope and inspiration. And for
you everyone listening, keep pushing forward, keep following your dreams,
and keep knowing that you make an impact and never
give up. We're here for you. So everyone, thank you
(27:48):
again for tuning in. If you have any questions or
would like to be a guest or show ideas, please
send an email to Insight into Healing at gmail dot com.
You can also find us at ask Collection the Therapy,
on Facebook and on Instagram.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Everyone have a good night and God bless
Lot Host, Lot host. Hi everyone, and welcome back to
Insight into Healing. My name is Alexa Servo Didiona, I'm
your host. Thank you so much for tuning in each
week and sending in your questions to Insight into Healing
(00:20):
at gmail dot com. Well, tonight's episode is so powerful.
Tonight I have John McLevy. His story is a story
of struggle, strength and resilience. Through his journey in life,
he has been able to move forward and become an
inspiration to many. It is my honor to introduce John mcilvavy.
(00:42):
Thank you so much for joining us this evening and
so happy to have you here on Insight into Healing.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
It is my pleasure, Alexa, I thank you for the
opportunity to speak with you and your audience.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
Absolutely no. One of my past guests, Eric Aaron Alter,
who has been on the show numerous times and the
Alexa Show, connected us and he explained to us your
story and everything of you moving forward, and I just
said I have to have you on the show. So
if you could just still in my listeners, Where is she?
Where did your story begin?
Speaker 2 (01:14):
Well? Eric and I grew up on the mean streets
of Short Hills, New Jersey and we both went to
Melbourne High School. Eric was a couple of years behind me.
I burned in nineteen hundred and eighty six. From there,
I went to Providence College in Rhode Island and was
(01:35):
kind of trying to figure out what I wanted to
do with my life. And once I got into school,
I had a friend that was doing an internship at
a local television station. She was working in the sports department,
and I was always a sports guy. Eric will tell
you I played a number of sports in high school,
and if I wasn't on the field or the court,
I was watching them. And I thought, Hey, if I
(01:57):
could find a job where I get paid to watch sports,
because I knew I wasn't going to be playing professionally,
then I said, that sounds like it's for me. So
I interned at a local ABCTV affiliate in Rhode Island
for three years and got tremendous experience. So when I graduated,
I was ready built to work at a TV station,
(02:21):
and so I got a job right out of school
at a place called Sports News Network. It was down
in Arlington, Virginia, and I worked four o'clock in the
afternoon to three o'clock in the morning when all the
games were over, and then I had an hour drive home.
So those nights were harry, to say the least. And
so I had really gotten bitten by the bug. And
the company was great. Unfortunately, we went bankrupt in about
(02:42):
nine months, and so I was back out looking for
a job. And at the time, this is the early nineties,
the gold standard was ESPN, and I really wanted to
work at ESPN. And I went to a job fair
in San Diego in June of ninety two and there
were six hundred people that were there and they interviewed
two people and I was lucky enough to get one
of the interviews, and I thought I did really well.
(03:05):
And again that was June of nineteen ninety two. August
rolls around, and unfortunately, on August nineteen, I had gone
to bed that night and I woke up in the
middle of the night and I wasn't feeling well, and
I thought, you know, I was living in the basement
at the time, back in my home. I thought, you know,
I had probably better go upstairs and get my parents
(03:27):
to maybe take me to the hospital because I just
don't feel good. And Alexa. From there, I can remember
walking towards the stairs and feeling like I was going
to faint, and then that's all I remember. I don't
remember my basement steps, and I don't remember falling down,
but I fell down the complete flight of steps, and
I wake up at the bottom and I am completely
(03:49):
paralyzed from head to toe. And at that point I
could hear my father coming down the stairs, and I
really didn't have any you know, breaths. I didn't really
have much vital lung capacity because my injury was so
high on my spinal cord that all I could do
was whisper to him, you know, don't touch me. Don't
touch me, because oftentimes if you try to move people,
(04:10):
you can you can make something worse. And so that
was pretty much the beginning of my new life. I
was twenty four years old and the Milburn First Daid
squad brought me up to Overlook Hospital and there my
journey as a newly spinal cord injured individual began.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
Wow, you are really a conscious a lot, and you've
been able to use this which is so empowering, which
is so amazing. Why I've also wanted to have you
on the show because so many times these horrific events
happen and it's hard to try to understand.
Speaker 3 (04:45):
Why or explain why.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
But I think the importance of that journey for you,
of resilience and how you've kept moving forward.
Speaker 3 (04:53):
What was that like for you?
Speaker 1 (04:54):
What did you use to help you kind of keep
moving forward and find that hope?
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Yeah, well, I'll tell you early on that hope was
hard to find, you know. I mean here, I was
just just the night before my accident. I was down
at the running through through town, running around the track
at Melbourne High School, four or five miles and then
all of a sudden, you know, and in a span
of about twelve hours, I can't wiggle my toes and
I can't, I can't do anything like that, and so
(05:23):
it takes a while. I must say, it was not
something that I was ready to take this time, because
you know, these injuries, they affect you so much physically.
Like I mentioned to you, I couldn't wiggle my toes,
I could, I could hardly breathe. And you know, final
court injuries, anything below the level of your injury, the
(05:45):
muscles are going to be affected. And you know, two
of the bigger muscles in our body that people don't
like to talk about, are you bow and bladder and
so you lose all you know, all of that, so
you can't have trouble with that, and you have you
know whether it's somebody's going to walk or whether they're
going to be able to feed themselves, and so all
of that takes its toll on you physically. But these
(06:06):
injuries really affect you almost more so mentally because you're
trying to think, you know, how am I going to
be able to do all these things again? And you
have to Number one, have a strong family, which I
had in spades. My family is amazing. My father was
the quarterback and he made sure that anybody that came
into my room had a smile on their face and
(06:28):
a positive attitude. And he was my rock and my hero.
Unfortunately we lost him in twenty fifteen, but he was
the man. And my sister Susan, who to this day
is my biggest cheerleader, who doesn't let me have a
bad day and is constantly pushing me, telling me you
can do it, you can do it, even at times
when I don't think I can. And my mom, you know,
(06:51):
your mom is always with you and she has she
has bent over backwards in more ways than one to
help me out through the So you need a strong
family behind you and great friends. There were oftentimes when
I was at Kesler, i did my rehabilitation at Kessler
Institute for Rehability.
Speaker 1 (07:15):
Hope. See it's still there. I think we lost you
there for a second. Yes, So you know, I think
it's really important as we hear John speaking the importance
of that struggle. And sometimes when those times, if I've
spoken so many times on the show, when it seems
times can be so dark, when it's so hard to
(07:38):
lift your head up sometimes, or when you don't see
that light at the end of the tunnel, that it's
okay to start visualizing that there can be that hope
and that light. And John, welcome back. And it's been
so amazing to be able to hear your story but
also to really hear your strength. And I think so
(07:59):
many times we don't really realize right away what our
journey is going to be moving forward, but it's finding
that hope and rebuilding that hope. And maybe we don't
know what it looks like in this new chapter, but
being able to find.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
It it does. Yeah, you have to because you know Alexa.
I mean, the way I look at it is we
all have one bite at the apple. You know, we're
all here for however many years we're going to be
here for. And I had some friends with Kessler that
chose to go down the rabbit hole and are just
(08:35):
bitter and can't accept it and can't move on, and
they just stay in their room. They didn't go to therapy,
and they really just weren't getting with the program, if
you know what I mean. And so I just am
somebody that I like to wake up on the sunny
side of the street all the time, against all odds,
because I know that when my feet hit the floor
(08:55):
in the morning, my day is just beginning. And it's hard.
I mean, I can tell you, I tell you know,
my friends sometimes like you wouldn't believe, just you know
what what I'm dealing with here and with with people
like me or are dealing with. And so I just
decided I'm not going to go down that route, and
(09:15):
I'm gonna put on a happy face and I'm gonna
I'm gonna make the most of what I have. And
that is what I've been trying to do with with
the peer mentorship that I do. I'm the peer Peer
Counseling coordinator at Kessler these days, and it's my job
to go into rooms where people have just had life
altering accidents or falls or you know, we have injuries
(09:40):
of all types, whether it's car accidents or gunshots or
falls and that type of thing. And they're there probably
within the first, you know, two or three weeks of
this happening to them, and they're there to rehab, but
they're also there to have their minds rehab. And that's
sort of where I come in, and I go into
the room and I explain that we offer something where
(10:03):
we can maybe find someone who has a similar injury
to the one that they have sustained, but that has
been living in the community with it for a number
of years and has kind of figured out, you know,
what life is all about again, sort of one way
to skin a cat that was more than one way
to skin a cat. That was something that my occupational
therapist told me all these moods ago. And we offer
(10:26):
that because we tell them it's one thing to be
able to talk to your doctor or your therapist, even
your family members able bodied people, but you know, they
might have compassion and they love you, but they don't
necessarily know what you're going through, whereas I could bring
somebody in who has a similar injury that knows exactly
what they're going through and what their future for them
might look like, and that it can be a fulfilling
(10:48):
life and it's something that they can.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
Do with the game changer of what you're talking about
is being able to reach them where they are mentally
and where they are emotionally, because yes, of course the
physical part is a huge chapter of it, but I
think it's also the mental and the emotional and being
able to reach that person to start building their spirits
or start to bring some of those spirits and that
(11:13):
hope out and being having someone to speak to them
who's gone through that. So your role is really that
game changing moment because we hear so many times in
people's stories, whatever they have had to go through, there
usually are those one or two people that they have
met that have spoken to them in one of their
darkest days, in their darkest moments that they remember has
(11:35):
given them that Wow, even though they might not want
to hear it, they were able to get that glimpse
of hope and saying, wow, I have someone here that's
on my team.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Yes, And I have to tell you one thing that's
been really cathartic for me is as I mentioned earlier on,
I was a big sports guy growing up. I had
a friend that asked me to help him out. He
was starting to coach youth basket ball in Milburn, and
he asked me to come and, you know, help him out.
And I thought, she's I can't hold a basketball anymore,
(12:07):
let alone dribble one. And I really have a hard
time walking. I mean, I thought, what help could I be?
And I went that first day, and you know, I
really didn't do very much. And you know, the next
day I went back, and you know, as the weeks
went by, I would interject things here and there because
I knew the game and I loved the game. And
then by the end of the season, I was, you know,
(12:29):
really a big part of the whole thing. And then
the next year he told me he got really busy
at work and he had to go. So it's like,
all right, now you're the man, and so I was
the I became the head coach and I did that
for twenty years and it was a labor of love,
and I telled the boys. I said, any joy that
you guys got out of the season, I got tenfold
from from you know, having that athletic background and that
(12:52):
competition that I lacked when I didn't you know, when
I didn't have my legs and my arms to really
take part in stuff like that anymore. And so I've
gotten I've gotten numerous emails and cards over the years
from from parents telling me that, you know, their son
learned a lot about basketball, but they also learned a
(13:13):
lot more about what life is like with having someone
like me coaching them and being around them and you know,
not you know, giving into what the situation was, but
to just live live the life that I had and
without having any drawbacks. And so that was always something
that has stood out to me and.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
Absolutely and those those children on that basketball team really
learned what life is really about. I mean, it really
puts things in perspective. And those are one of those,
you know, as they say, priceless moments that money can't buy.
That's something that you know, that's something that they have learned,
that that gift no one else could ever give them.
And I think it's so important that they'll be able
(13:58):
to use that to pay it forward, but that you
were able to use your experience and pay it forward.
And you also have a podcast that is just amazing
and really helping so many people tell us about that.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Yes I do, and I thank you for asking. I have.
As I said in the beginning, I'm sort of a
frustrated sports guy and a communicator, and so back when
COVID hit and everybody was stuck in their house, it
was kind of like, Okay, what am I going to
do with my time? And for years and years and years,
(14:32):
I used to tell all my friends at Kesler when
I would go back for outpatient therapy, I said, you know,
I'm going to start a podcast and I'm going to
call it the Quadcast. And everybody got a kick out
of that, because technically the level of my injury, I'm
considered a quad. So then I would go back and
I would see them six months later and they'd say, hey,
how's that thing going? And I said, well, I don't
(14:54):
have the equipment, or I don't have this, or I
don't have that. Well, finally, when COVID rolled around, I said,
you know what, I'm just going to buy a life laptop.
I got a good laptop, and I was able to
download some software. I bought a good microphone and I
just said, I'm going to go for it, and I
had no idea really what I was doing. I put
together a phrase that I said that this podcast is
(15:14):
mainly for and about folks like me who have had
their lives affected by a spinal cord injury, but is
really for anyone who just wants to be inspired. And
I call it a thirty to forty five minute session
of OT and PT for the soul. And what I do,
Alexa is I look for folks who have had themselves
spinal cord injuries and have gone on to do amazing
(15:37):
things in spite of them from wheelchairs, some of them
most of them from wheelchairs, a lot of them very
high quads who have really no control over their legs
or their arms. But folks who have gone on Shark
Tank and actually gotten money from the sharks and have
started two and three different businesses. It's a multimillionaire. I've
(15:59):
also had an NFL football player joined me. Mike Utley
was injured back in the late nineteen eighties on the
football field that had my friend Eric Legrand, who folks
in New Jersey might recognize that name. He was injured
playing football for Rutgers University a number of years ago
and has gone on to do some amazing things, and
(16:20):
then you know, just some other people. I use the
term necessity is the mother of all invention. People who
for one reason or another aren't able to do anything
any longer, and so they invent something that will help
them to accomplish the past and have started businesses that way.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
And I think that's so incredible because you know, sometimes
when you don't know what else could there be that
intuition at being able to be creative and doing something.
And I find that, especially with podcasts and shows, the
audience really draws to that. They want to know the truth.
They want to also hear someone who is vulnerable but
(16:57):
also is passionate and inspiring and can share that story
so people can relate to it in their own struggle
in their own life to be able to be inspired
to know what I remember that moment when I really
feel like I couldn't move or feel like I couldn't
emotionally do anything, and being able to use these moments
in these different shows and episodes to help them get
(17:20):
through those tough times and then especially during COVID was
an incredible time for these shows and podcasts to be
out because so many people found them. They almost had
to have the time. They had too much time, and
they had to start researching ways of being inventive or
also being able to pass time, but to find what
was going on with them. If they couldn't go see friends,
(17:41):
or if they couldn't go into therapy, or they didn't
have their job or something to distract them. They needed
that moment to themselves for a while to be able
to say, Okay, what's inside of me?
Speaker 3 (17:50):
What comes for me?
Speaker 1 (17:51):
And sometimes those are the most beautiful gifts and stories
and inventions that are out there.
Speaker 2 (17:58):
Absolutely, and the idea was to record these for newly
injured folks so that they could see that, yeah, my
lot in life right now is not what I thought
it would be, well not what I wanted it to be.
And you know, for all intents and purposes, it's going
to be a tough life. But again, it's not the
end of the world, and it beats the alternative. And
(18:19):
then I started thinking it can also be for folks
like me. This August nineteen will be thirty one years
since I had my accident, and it could be for
people who have been injured for a number of years
that they could see that hey, listen, I could still
do something with what I have here if I put
my mind to it again. Any sort of inspirational stories.
(18:39):
As I said, it's mainly for folks who've had spinal
cord injuries, but for anybody that just wants to be inspired.
And you know who can't be inspired hearing story about
somebody who who is completely paralyzed from head to toe
but sits in board meetings and is the head of
a company. And I have a friend who started a
shoe company because he couldn't get shoes on, and now
(19:01):
he's got a huge shoe company and he's affecting not
only his world but everybody else's. And so it's you know,
picking up the pieces and moving along with what you
still have.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Yes, yes, and yes it's a hard journey when we
have to pick up the pieces and move forward. But
I think the most important piece while going through it
is knowing that it can be done. Yes, it's not
it might not be easy. Yes, it's not going to
happen overnight, but that's okay. Some of those are the
best things that come out of it, that take that
(19:35):
time that you're able to cultivate and really bring your
heart and soul into it so others can hear it
and feel that and be able to have it ring
true for them. How can we find your show? Where
is it airing? How can people follow you?
Speaker 2 (19:51):
People can find my show. They can find all of
my episodes on my websites, which is www dot quadcast.
That's q U A D B A s T dot org,
quadcast dot org. And then you can also find me
on Facebook. The name is John McLevy. I'll spell that
(20:14):
it's mc capital A L E A V as in
Victor E y. And then I'm also on Instagram. I
have a couple of accounts on Instagram. One is T
D Johnny fourteen. That's T D J O h n
(20:35):
n Y fourteen, and then the other one is t
quadcast and that's q U A D D A S T.
I'm also on Twitter and it's John J. Mclev uh
and I also have an account for my quadcast on
Twitter as well. I'm pretty new to all of this
(20:56):
social media stuff. I know, Alexa, we didn't have any
of this stuff when I was a kid. Growing up
in the dark ages in the eighties, and so I
have my niece and nephew helped me out with all
of that. But I'm confusing, right, I don't even know
what I'm saying. All these different things.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
They didn't have it when I was growing up beat it.
I had to learn all of this and say, okay,
let's see what happens, especially during shows as I was. Also,
I'm all phone actress, and sometimes the show must go on.
We don't ever know what's going to happen.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
Yeah, we don't have elecity right when we were kids.
Oh yeah, electricity was just coming around. Oh that's so funny.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
One other thing, glad.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
Also, yeah, what's next for me? You know what I'm
trying to do is I am actually trying to get
into recording voiceovers. I'm trying to get into the voiceover
world because back in the day, my occupational therapists told me, John,
you can't dwell on what does not work for you anymore.
(21:59):
And for me, my injury is an interesting one. It's
very high on my spinal cord, but my upper body
is oftentimes has been more affected than my lower body.
It's called central cord syndrome. And they told me to
think of myself as an upside down para. Now, you know,
with paraplegics, their legs don't work, so they're in wheelchairs.
(22:20):
In my case, they said, John, you'll probably walk, but
you'll have little to no use of your upper body.
And they were really true with that. I really have
little to know use of fine motor skills, like I
can't do buttons and zippers and shirts. I can't lift
my arms up over my head. I really can't do
much with that. So one thing that still works for
(22:41):
me is that I can accentuate. I joke around with people.
Is my big mouth. So I started doing the podcast
one and I'm also looking to do some recording of
voiceovers if I can. So if there's anybody else in
my mind.
Speaker 1 (22:58):
You must have read my mind, because I was going
to literally, honestly, I was going to tell you you
have the perfect voice for podcasts, and I was going
to say, you're really look into doing some more, maybe
look into voice over other type of work, because you
have that voice. It's very polished, it's very clear. I
support you totally. There anyone who's listening, you're ready.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Yeah, please, if you, if you if there's anyone out
there that that agrees with Alexa and likes these velvety tones. Please,
by all means I would be I would be more
than happy to oblige, because it's again, it's something that
you know I can do here in the house. I
have the software where I can. I can if you
(23:41):
send me the AD copy, I can read that, and
that can put music on things. I have a producer
that can help me out with that sort of thing.
And not only that, my long term Social Security disability
checks don't go all that far. So if I can
generated a couple of extra ducats from doing that, then
then all the better.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
That would be great, absolutely, And I think it's so
incredible just your passion and your excitement, and also all
the different careers, all the different avenues that you are
taking are very impressive and I find very very inspiring.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
Before the end of the show, we have a few
minutes left. What would you.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Say to any of my listeners that are here and
they're struggling or they're feeling a little hopeless, and they're saying, why,
I don't know what this all means, what's the next step?
What would you say to them?
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Well, I would say that they need to reach out
for people that have their back, whether that's family members
or friends. I would also say that those people that
they reach out for need to be positive. You don't
want to be surrounding yourself with people who are negative
because you know, I use the term going down the
(24:52):
rabbit hole. It's very easy to go down the rabbit
hole and have what they like to call pity parties,
and you can't. You know, you can have every once
in a while, but you can't wallow in pity and
in sorrow and woe is Me type of the thing.
So I would say I would surround myself with people
who are are positive and they are going to have
your back. And then the other thing is I would say,
(25:14):
you have to occupy your mind. You have to be
involved in something, whether that's reading a book or listening
to a podcast, or getting out of your house and
opening up that circle where you're catching up with old
friends or making new friends, maybe working on a project
something like that. I think idle time is what if
(25:36):
I say, the devil's playground type of thing. Yes, yes, yeah,
so I think that those are all things. And you know,
as I'm saying, I'm you know, looking pointing the finger.
Speaker 4 (25:47):
Back at me, I need to I need to take
myself up on some of that, on some of that
or what I said there, because I know that I
need to get involved with catching up with some old
friends more.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
But I think that those are some things that could
be a start. You know, it could be a start people.
Speaker 1 (26:02):
Absolutely, and you never know when you take those first
steps in those and sometimes people don't think, oh, what's
that going to make an impact?
Speaker 3 (26:08):
It does. It makes a huge impact, and it's.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Taking those first steps and being able to say, who
knows what's going to come out of it. I always
find other doors open networking. You know, there's always something
that could come out of it, and you never know
who you're gonna meet and never find out about yourself.
That's something that really is like, Wow, I'm good at this.
I feel passionate about this. I could do something like this.
(26:32):
And I'm so happy Eric connected us and I'm so
excited to keep hearing more and more about you and
to listen to your podcast more and just have you
back on the show. So again, thank you so much
for coming out. It was such an honor to have
you on my show and hear your story.
Speaker 2 (26:50):
You're welcome, Alexa. It was my pleasure. I appreciate the
opportunity and as I said, you know, we're all in
this together, and if we can help our fellow men
and woman out, then all the more up for that.
And so again, thank you for the opportunity. I look
forward to keeping up the dialogue with you in the future.
Speaker 1 (27:13):
Absolutely, and it's.
Speaker 2 (27:14):
Also gat you know you Rick. I have to say
thanks to Eric also much more. He'll love it.
Speaker 1 (27:19):
Thank you, Eric, thank you.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
You know he loves shout out. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (27:25):
And what an incredible way. Tonight is my last show
of the summer season. I'll start back again in September,
but what an incredible way to end this season of
Insight into Healing with such hope and inspiration. And for
you everyone listening, keep pushing forward, keep following your dreams,
and keep knowing that you make an impact and never
give up. We're here for you. So everyone, thank you
(27:48):
again for tuning in. If you have any questions or
would like to be a guest or show ideas, please
send an email to Insight into Healing at gmail dot com.
You can also find us at ask Collection the Therapy,
on Facebook and on Instagram.
Speaker 3 (28:03):
Everyone have a good night and God bless
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Gregg Rosenthal and a rotating crew of elite NFL Media co-hosts, including Patrick Claybon, Colleen Wolfe, Steve Wyche, Nick Shook and Jourdan Rodrigue of The Athletic get you caught up daily on all the NFL news and analysis you need to be smarter and funnier than your friends.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com