Introduction of The Lived Experience To Start, after watching the 2017 movie, The Upside, by director Neil Burger, I learned a lot about Phillip’s and Dell’s perception of Quadriplegia caused by a spinal cord injury (SCI). According to the Cleveland Clinic, “Quadriplegia, also known as tetraplegia, is a paralysis that prevents an individual from voluntarily moving their upper and lower body, including their arms, hands, legs, feet, and toes” (2022). The character Phillip is a wealthy quadriplegic, and he perceives his condition as a significant loss of independence. He has chosen to have a Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) order and has lost the will to live. His condition has left him feeling hopeless and disconnected from the life he once knew. The character Dell becomes …show more content…
For Dell, this caregiver role demands his time and energy, impacting his ability to reconnect with his son and ex-wife. Over time, the caregiver role also brings a sense of purpose and new skills. To sum up, Phillip’s condition affects both the lived experience of his life and Dell’s. Presentation and Pathophysiology of Spinal Cord Injury Furthermore, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, “Quadriplegia typically results from damage to the cervical spinal cord. The most common causes include traumatic injuries (e.g., from car accidents, sports injuries, falls), medical conditions such as spinal cord tumors, multiple sclerosis, or diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)” (2020). In the movie, Phillip’s condition results from a paragliding accident, which is consistent with traumatic SCI. The symptoms and clinical presentation include “complete or partial loss of motor function in all four limbs and torso and loss of sensation below the level of the injury”. This includes an inability to feel touch, temperature, and