Wellness Warriors Scholarship

“Clear!” “We’ve got no response!” “Push the epi!” “Increase the shock to 300 Joules!’ “Clear!” “Resume CPR.” “C’mon, Gage, fight! Don’t you stop fighting, little man!” Doc we’ve got a heartbeat back, blood pressure 60/30 and climbing.” Health and personal wellness most young adults don’t think twice about. It is the gift of youth, but not me. I was born a critically ill infant and stared death in the face on more than one occasion. My name is Kristopher Gage Burns. I’m 23 and just completed my first year of graduate school. I’m pursuing my Doctorate of Occupational Therapy at Jacksonville University in Florida. People that know my story don’t hesitate to call me a miracle. By all accounts, I should not be here today. Personal wellness has always been at the forefront of my very existence. I lived in hospitals and depended on pumps and machines to live. At the age of five, I received a multiple organ transplant. I was gifted a new liver, small intestine, and pancreas. During the surgery, I “coded” three times. The transplant was and continues to be a success. However, the surgery was not without complications. I developed a blood clot that traveled to my spinal cord during one of the times I coded, leaving me paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair. I spent many years in both physical and occupational therapy relearning to be functional and independent. Personal wellness may look a little different for me than most 20 somethings out there. For a long time I didn’t know how and lacked the confidence to try team sports. It wasn’t until I found Brooks Rehab and Adaptive Sports Program that I found I was just as capable of trying as my peers. For the first time I was trying bowling, archery, surfing, and billiards. I found my love, my sport, my team; the Brooks Ballers wheelchair basketball team; a Division III league team. These guys have become like my second family, and I’m always guaranteed a good workout to relieve some of that college exam stress! My days may be filled with extras like doctor appointments, medications, and lab draws, but it is all my personal wellness journey. It is my hope as an OT that I can help others achieve the confidence needed to get out there and live life on the court and not the sideline.