Summer Meadors knew by age 16 that she wanted to pursue a career in occupational therapy after a close friend became paralyzed in an accident.

While Meadors' friend was going through spinal cord rehabilitation, she spent time with her at Craig Hospital in Denver, Colorado.

"I was exposed to the field of occupational therapy as my friend relearned how to tie her shoes, put on her socks and balance at the sink to wash her face on her own," Meadors said. "I was captivated by the work she was doing with her occupational therapist and the commitment they both exhibited toward her recovery."

Meadors learned that occupational therapy goes beyond helping patients regain strength in muscle groups. "Occupational therapy is the commitment to improving a patient's quality of life, regardless of their medical diagnosis," she said. "A person's life is their occupation: their hobbies, their job, the errands they run and the activities they love.

"Occupational therapy reaches into every aspect of a person's life, helping them heal emotionally and physically."

A first-year student in the University of Arkansas/UAMS occupational therapy doctoral program, Meadors hasn't just dedicated herself to a career in occupational therapy to help people like her friend. She's also forwarding the cause in her private life.

Last fall, she ran in the New York City Marathon to raise money for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. It was her second time to run in the marathon in honor of friends and family affected by paralysis, degenerative diseases and spinal cord injuries — including her best friend's fiancé, J.D. Bruning.

"J.D. was hanging out with his friends like any other time — until it wasn't like every other time," she said. "In 2013, while diving off a bridge into unexpectedly shallow water, J.D. hit his head and his spinal cord crumpled."

Meadors has hope that she'll be able to run with him one day. The money she raises helps fund spinal cord injury research and support people with spinal cord injuries and other forms of paralysis, their caregivers and more.

Meadors also races for her mother, Gay Richardson, who was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2017. And for "Coach Mark," who has been coaching Team Reeve for 16 years. "Mark was diagnosed with ALS this past year, and I ran in honor of him. He's poured so much work, encouragement, love and dedication into the entire team and me over the years," she said.

Meadors admits running a 26.2-mile marathon is no easy task. But she knows it can't compare to the obstacles some of her friends and family members face daily.

"Their resilience, determination, strength and sheer will to fight every day, harder than anyone else I know, is why I run," she said. "We have to take advantage of the able bodies we have. We can't do nothing while other people agonize to run, walk or just live as we can."

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This story is the latest in a series called the Dean's Spotlight, featuring outstanding students in the University of Arkansas College of Education and Health Professions. Visit COEHP's online magazine, the Colleague, for more news from the six units that make up the college. Visit the  Occupational Therapy doctoral website for more information on the graduate program.