My Journey Back: Learning to live with paralysis and Returning to Work

In August 2020, my life took a sudden, devastating turn. While riding my motorcycle home from work, I was hit by a car whose driver didn’t see me. The impact left me paraplegic. I spent weeks in a coma at the University Clinic in Göttingen before being transferred to the BG Querschnittszentrum in Hamburg, a specialized spinal injury center. The reality of my situation slowly sank in—I would never walk again. This was a hard blow, and due to the pandemic’s restrictions, I often had to process these challenges in isolation, as my family couldn't visit.

But despite the isolation and the overwhelming changes, I made a decision early on: I wanted to regain as much of my previous life as possible. That included returning to work.

From the hospital, I started reaching out to my colleagues at ContiTech Elastomer Beschichtungen GmbH. They responded with unwavering support, beginning conversations with the BG RCI (Berufsgenossenschaft Rohstoffe und Chemische Industrie) about how I could eventually return to work. My supervisors and team were incredible—they assured me that they would do everything possible to help me reintegrate into the company.

It was clear I couldn’t return to my previous role in the warehouse, where I managed logistics, packing, and loading trucks. Instead, my managers and the BG RCI suggested a new path: working in the shipping office, handling customs and export control. This wasn’t just a job change; it was a whole new opportunity. With the help of the BG RCI, I underwent additional training in customs and export compliance before rejoining the company.

The journey back wasn’t just about finding a new role at work. My personal life also needed to be rebuilt. My house, which I had bought in 2018, was not adaptable for my new needs. So, in early 2021, my family and I made the tough decision to build a new barrier-free home, as our current one couldn’t be economically converted for wheelchair access. During the construction, we moved into a wheelchair-accessible vacation rental, and I attended multiple weekly therapy sessions, commuting by taxi to Göttingen.

Another important step toward independence was passing my driving test for a specially adapted vehicle. In 2022, after undergoing driver training and having my car modified, I was finally able to drive again. My vehicle is now equipped with a 6-way seat, allowing me to transfer from the car to my wheelchair smoothly. The new parking space at work has been modified to provide enough room for my car's ramp, allowing me to easily enter the office building through the automatic doors installed just for me. All these small but essential changes made a huge difference in my daily life.