Famous People Who Had or Have Quadriplegia (2024)

Introduction

Quadriplegia, also known as Tetraplegia, - tetraplegia is more commonly used in Europe than in the United States, is paralysis caused by illness or spinal injury in the cervical area - C1-C8 that results in the partial or total loss of use of all four limbs and torso; paraplegia is similar but does not affect the arms. Hemiparesis, or unilateral paresis, is weakness of one entire side of the body. Hemiplegia is, in its most severe form, complete paralysis of half of the body. Hemiparesis and hemiplegia can be caused by different medical conditions, including congenital causes, trauma, tumors, or stroke.

Main Digest

Mobility loss due to quadriplegia is usually sensory and motor, which means that both sensation and control are lost. The severity of the condition depends on both the level at which the spinal cord is injured and the extent of the injury. The quadriplegia paralysis may be flaccid or spastic. Spasticity is a frequent consequence of incomplete injuries. Spasticity often decreases function, but sometimes a patient can control the spasticity in a way that it is useful to their function.

Motor vehicle and motorcycle accidents are the leading cause of spinal cord injuries, accounting for almost half of new spinal cord injuries each year.

When diagnosing and classifying spinal cord injuries, the American Spinal Injury Association - ASIA classification is used to distinguish between weakness vs. no weakness, and to classify neurologically complete vs. incomplete lesions.

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See Also

Quadriplegic Driving: The Facts About Handicap Vehicles

List of Notable People With Quadriplegia, or Had Quadriplegia

• Aaron Cross
• Ahmed Yassin
• Alex McKinnon - Rugby league
• Allan Chadwick
• Ambrogio Fogar
• Anam Najam - Pakistani quadriplegic psychiatrist.
• Anne-Marie Alonzo - Canadian writer and publisher; in 1966 she was the victim of a car accident which left her quadriplegic and using a wheelchair.
• Annette Funicello
• Art Metrano
• Ashley Lauren Fisher
• Azucena Hernández
• Barbara Turnbull - Canadian newspaper journalist, and motivational writer, paralyzed in a 1993 robbery.
• Bill Shoemaker
• Billy Gallagher - Chef
• Bonnie Sherr Klein
• Brad Dubberley
• Brian Sternberg
• Brooke Ellison - First quadriplegic to graduate from Harvard University. Paralyzed when struck by a car in 1990.
• Celeste Dandeker
• Celestine Tate Harrington
• Cheryl Angelelli
• Christopher Nolan - Author
• Christopher Reeve - Actor, injured in a 1995 accident.
• Chuck Austin
• Chuck Close - American painter.
• Chucky Mullins
• Cory Hahn
• Craig H. Neilsen - American gaming executive who founded Ameristar Casinos, Inc., and formed the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation to fund scientific research and quality-of-life programs for people living with spinal cord injuries.
• Curtis Mayfield - Soul singer/songwriter, paralyzed in a stage accident in 1990.
• Dan Walters
• Daniel Fitzgibbon
• Danny Murphy - American actor
• Darren Drozdov - Professional wrestler, injured in a match with D'Lo Brown.
• Darryl Stingley - American football player, paralyzed in a 1978 exhibition game.
• Darryl Williams - Advocate
• David Edwards - motivational speaker
• David Jacka
• David Lloyd - Botanist
• David Wagner - Tennis
• Davina Ingrams, 18th Baroness Darcy de Knayth
• Deborah Kaplan - Disability activist
• Denna Laing
• Dinesh Palipana - Australian doctor, the first quadriplegic intern in Queensland, the second quadriplegic medical graduate in Australia. A spinal cord injury was caused as a result of a car accident.
• Doug Mowat
• Droz - Wrestler
• Ed Roberts - Disability rights activist, first quadriplegic to attend the University of California, Berkeley.
• Edward Rainey - Scottish painter.
• Eiko Kimura
• Elena Mukhina - Soviet gymnast and 1978 World AA Champion, paralyzed as a result of an under-rotation in a practice routine.
• Eric LeGrand - College football player. Paralyzed in a 2010 football game, but has since regained movement to his shoulders and feeling to most of his body.
• Evelyn Mulry Moore
• Frank Williams - Co-founder of Williams Racing in Formula One. Injured in a 1986 car accident.
• Garett Hickling
• Gary Birch - Electrical engineer
• Geoff Holt - Sailor
• George Robinson - Actor, injured in a 2015 rugby match.
• Grant Boxall
• Guy McElroy - American art historian and curator.
• Hilary Lister
• Ian Trewhella
• Ior Bock
• Isabel Newstead
• Jack Purvis - Actor
• Jade C. Bell
• James Langevin
• James Troesh, aka Jim Troesh - actor, screenwriter and entertainment industry disability advocate. Paralyzed, aged 14, following a home accident, he was the first quadriplegic actor to join the Screen Actors Guild.
• Jamie Dunross
• Jeff Erlanger - Activist, appeared on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.
• Jeff Farkas
• Jeff Shannon
• Jethro Mutti
• Jill Kinmont - U.S. skier, paralyzed in a skiing accident in 1955, subject of the movie The Other Side of the Mountain.
• Jim Langevin - American politician, member of the US House of Representatives and first member of US Congress to serve with quadriplegia.
• Jo Ann Emerson
• Joan Donaldson
• Jocelyn Lovell - Canadian cyclist hit by a truck while on a training ride.
• John Burke - Rugby league, born 1957
• John Callahan - Cartoonist, became a quadriplegic in an auto accident at age 21.
• John Carter - English mouth artist.
• John Farragher
• John McClamrock
• John Paul Getty III - Son of J. Paul Getty, left disabled after suffering a stroke.
• Johnnie Wilder Jr. - Co-founder and lead vocalist of the international R&B/funk group Heatwave.
• Jonathan Magbie
• Joni Eareckson Tada - Christian author and motivational speaker, paralyzed in a 1967 diving accident.
• Julissa Gomez
• Ken Slater - Australian rules footballer and tennis player, paralyzed in car accident.
• Kent Hehr - Canadian politician, Member of Parliament from 2015 - present. Paralyzed in shooting accident at age 22.
• Kimiko O. Bowman
• Kira Grünberg
• Laís Souza
• Loïc Liber
• Lorenzo Amurri
• Luca Pancalli
• Lucius Barnes
• MP Anil Kumar
• Mara Gabrilli
• Marilyn Saviola
• Mark Hicks
• Mark Zupan - American wheelchair rugby player, featured in the film Murderball. Paralyzed in a 1993 auto accident.
• Mary Lou Spiess - American designer of disabled fashion, paralyzed as a result of polio.
• Matt Hampson - England rugby player, paralysed in a scrummaging accident.
• Max Brito - Ivoirian international rugby union player; paralyzed in a match against Tonga in the 1995 Rugby World Cup.
• Melanie Reid
• Michael Hickson - Aged 46, died on June 11, 2020, after being denied care for COVID-19 by doctors at South Austin Medical Center over his wife's objections. - Wikipedia
• Michelle Stilwell
• Mike Smith - Dave Clark Five
• Mike Utley - Former Detroit Lions lineman, injured on a Barry Sanders touchdown run in 1991.
• Mike Woods - American football
• Minnie Rojas
• Nazim Erdem
• Neil Sachse
• Noël Martin
• Noel Robins
• Oksana Kononets - Ukrainian model.
• Patrick Rummerfield - First fully recovered quadriplegic, athlete, motivational speaker.
• Paul Alexander - Polio survivor
• Paul Collier - Activist
• Pete Redfern
• Peter Hill - Paralympian
• Peter Marsh - Athlete
• Peter Martin - Athlete
• Philippe Pozzo di Borgo
• Philippe Streiff
• Preethi Srinivasan
• Rachelle Friedman
• Rajinder Johar
• Ramón Sampedro - Spanish fisherman, whose struggle for the right to die was dramatized in the film Mar Adentro..
• Randy Souders
• Ray Murphy Jr.
• Raymond Bonham Carter
• Robert E. Walton
• Robert Rose - Sportsman
• Robert Staddon - Swimmer
• Roberto Arias
• RockyNoHands - Online alias of Rocky Stoutenburgh, American gaming streamer. First quadriplegic to be signed to an esports organization.
• Rodney Rogers
• Rowan Bowles
• Roy Campanella - American baseball player. Paralyzed in a 1958 auto accident.
• Roy Fowler - Paralympian
• Rudy Ndey
• Ruth Sienkiewicz-Mercer
• Ryan Scott - Wheelchair rugby
• S. Ramakrishnan - Activist
• Sam Schmidt - IndyCar racing driver, paralysed in 2000 testing crash.
• Sam Sullivan - Canadian politician, mayor of Vancouver from 2005 to 2008. Paralyzed in a skiing accident at age 19.
• Samuel Koch - German actor and former stuntman who became paralysed in an accident while filming Wetten, dass.? in 2010.
• Sandra Schnur
• Sarmad Tariq
• Scott Rains
• Shane Brand
• Shane Clifton
• Shawn Bradley
• Sheikh Ahmed Yassin - Former leader of Hamas.
• Stefan Florescu
• Stephen Hawking - Physicist, paralyzed due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
• Steve Little - American football
• Steven Fletcher - Canadian Member of Parliament, paralyzed in an auto accident.
• Steven McDonald
• Teddy Pendergrass - Soul singer, paralyzed in an auto accident in 1982.
• Thomas P. Kennedy
• Tom J. Bordonaro Jr.
• Tom Luckey - American architect and sculptor best known for creating abstract playgrounds known as Luckey Climbers. Paralyzed due to a fall in 2005.
• Tommy Hollenstein
• Tracey Freeman
• Travis Roy
• Vic Chesnutt - Singer/songwriter.
• Walter Harris Callow - Inventor of the wheelchair accessible bus.
• Winston Davis
• Yoshihiro Takayama
• Željko Dimitrijević

NOTE: If you notice any inaccuracies in this list, please reach out to us so we can correct it. Additionally, if you believe someone should be added to this list, please provide us with their name and any information to verify their disability. We value your help, and you can contact us here.

You can also view our other lists of famous and well-known people with various disabilities and conditions, including actors, politicians, and writers who contributed to society.

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Cite This Page (APA): Langtree, I. C. (2024, April 13 - Last revised: 2024, April 24). Famous People Who Had or Have Quadriplegia. Disabled World. Retrieved June 12, 2024 from www.disabled-world.com/disability/awareness/famous/quadriplegics.php

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