Carson Dohemann is a passionate, kind-hearted, and driven 32-year-old with a spinal cord injury. He grew up in Novato, CA, where he still lives today with his wife, Shannon. Before his injury, Carson loved to snowboard, surf, hike, camp, and engage in anything that would get him outside and active. Carson and Shannon first met at summer camp when they were young kids, but it wasn’t until their early 20s that they reconnected and started dating. In the summer of 2019, they were 3 1/2 years into their relationship and had just moved in together when Carson broke his neck diving into shallow water at one of the beaches in Tamales Bay. Carson was pulled out of the water by his brother, and then he was rushed by helicopter to a nearby hospital in Santa Rosa. He regained consciousness a few days later, hooked up to a breathing machine and a feeding tube. Unable to speak, he could see the look in Shannon’s eyes and they both knew that life had changed drastically. Every step of the way, Shannon has been there for him, and in turn, he has been there for her. For the last five years, Shannon has been Carson’s full-time caregiver. They are now married and living in their home with their dog, Toby, and cat, Billy. In the time since his injury, Carson has regained the ability to breathe, speak, and eat independently and is still getting stronger every day. While they have accomplished so much in the past five years, Carson and Shannon know that the journey is far from over. Together, they continue to battle and overcome the obstacles of being a quadriplegic. Some of these challenges they can navigate on their own, while others can be very financially taxing. However, with help from the community around them, these goals can be much more attainable. 

Carson and Shannon have dreams of making their home fully accessible for Carson and his wheelchair. This entails efforts to build permanent ramps, redesign doorways, and remodel pantries, fridges, sinks, etc. so that Carson can become more independent in his own home. Carson also attends a gym in Petaluma (SCI-FIT) where he works with personal trainers who help him get out of his chair and move around in ways he is unable to on his own. This enables him to maintain and gain strength and flexibility, increase blood flow to parts of the body he cannot move, and increase bone density. These are factors that play key roles in his comfortability and longevity of life. At the moment, he utilizes grants to pay for these gym sessions but they will soon run out, leaving him unable to continue. Another thing that Carson mentioned he could use some help acquiring is tools made by a company called Quadtools, designed specifically for quadriplegics. They design items such as kitchen utensils, shears for trimming plants, and arm extensions that help wheelchair users without hand function pick up things in out-of-reach places. Carson and Shannon are a beautiful couple that continues to inspire everyone they meet. They will never give up on life, or each other, and with a little help, you can make their dreams come true.