Silvia Negron

Helping others understand

educating young people not to be afraid of going to people with disabilities

At 38 years old, Silvia Negron from Wilmington, Delaware, is the mother of three children and one grandson.
Silvia was a victim of gun violence that left her paralyzed from the waist down (T10-T12). Before her accident she worked at a restaurant as a manager serving food enjoying every moment with the guests.
Since her injury, Silvia is often asked to speak to students from middle and high schools about spinal cord injuries and gun violence. She tells the students that if she can at least reach one of them, she feels like she is making a change. Silvia has also set herself the goal of educating young people not to be afraid of going to people with disabilities: "if you see someone in a wheelchair, ask if they need your help. If they say no, that’s fine as long as you ask because you never know if that person needed help" says Negron.
In the future, the 38 years old woman wants to help others who might be going through what she went through. She shares with us: "My first two years of my injury, I don’t feel as I got the help I needed mentally and physically in the rehab centers. I wasn’t shown how to live life in a wheelchair. I’m starting to learn how now. My current rehabilitation center has been helping me with a lot. I can walk with KFO’s holding on to a walker, and many other things that I didn’t know how to do before. I would just love to help others that struggle with spinal cord injury mentally and physically. Everyone is not perfect but together we can be."
When asked about what she feels blessed about, Silvia Negron doesn't hesitate one moment: " Family is so important to me! I love spending time with my family. My grandson has been a blessing for me. He was born during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was sad because I couldn’t be there to watch him be born physically, it had to be through FaceTime."

"My family. That's all that matters." - Silvia Negron