Breaking Barriers: Understanding Spinal Cord Injuries

On September 28, 2025, at 8:00 PM IST, Enable Education hosted a webinar on ‘Breaking Barriers: Understanding Spinal Cord Injuries.’ Held on Google Meet, the session was graced by Dr. Abhay Nene and Ms. Pearl Gupta. It was packed with valuable insights and learnings. The webinar was moderated by Ms. Aarushi Gambhir, Founder of Enable Education movement and Disability Inclusion Strategist. The first panelist, Dr. Abhay Nene, is a leading spine surgeon and a prominent voice in the field of healthcare. With a distinguished career dedicated to advancing spinal health, he has combined clinical expertise with a deep commitment to patient care and public awareness. Beyond his surgical practice, Dr. Nene is actively involved in research, education, and advocacy, working to bridge the gap between medical science and community understanding. His contributions extend to national and international platforms, where he continues to guide conversations on innovation, accessibility, and the future of spine care. Another panelist, Ms. Pearl Gupta, is a passionate advocate for spinal injury awareness, drawing strength and purpose from her own lived experience. After navigating the challenges of a life-changing spinal injury, she has dedicated herself to building greater understanding, accessibility, and inclusion for the spinal injury community. Her journey is one of resilience and determination transforming adversity into advocacy. Guided by the belief that personal stories can drive social change, Pearl continues to inspire and empower others facing similar struggles. The session began with Dr. Nene explaining about the leading causes of spinal cord injuries in India - climbing trees, jumping into shallow pools, and road accidents which make up for a whopping 70%. The journey of a survivor is not easy and is marred by a lot of hardships. It begins with a feeling of helplessness, but learning to accept is the key. Physical and occupational therapy play a pivotal role in bettering the lives of survivors. He also emphasised on the importance of having a self-care routine. Pearl chimed in and shared her experience with spinal cord injury. As a national level swimmer, finding purpose after realising that 90% of her body is paralysed, leaving her mobility curtailed was a hard pill to swallow. But along the way she realised the she needs to have a purpose, and fought the odds. Her family and physicians were a great source of strength. Shedding some light on the emerging assistive tools available for spinal cord injury victims, Dr. Nene mentioned about grabbers reachers, walkers, and wheelchairs. He also talked about the research on spinal cord stimulation (neuro-modulation), functional stimulator and wearable exoskeleton. As per him, there’s still a long way to go for us in terms of tech advancements and scientific R&D on spinal cord injuries. He put forth a three-step approach in order to revolutionise this space. Firstly, grants from governments can help. Secondly, the disconnect between physicians and engineers needs to be bridged. Thirdly, urgent and specialised attention from medical fraternity. He believes that there is a lot to look forward to in this realm in the upcoming decade. Both Pearl and Dr. Nene delivered a strong parting message. They underlined that purpose drives passion. Post-operative journey is not linear and the path to recovery is twofold - physical and mental. Along with therapy, it is prudent to practice self-care.

Ms. Gambhir wrapped up the event by extending heartfelt gratitude to the speakers, attendees, and partners who contributed to the success of the webinar. The webinar celebrated the commemorative spirit of Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month, spreading awareness and fostering empowerment.