SUMMERVILLE – Three years ago, the life of Ashley Lawrence, 40, changed after a spinal injury made her lose the use of her right leg.
After being recently crowned Mrs. Wheelchair in the U.S. in South Carolina and facing her own difficulties just to enter buildings to see a mental health therapist, she hopes to become a mental health advocate and will compete for the national title in July. in Ohio. But she needs help from the community to get there.
“I am very happy to be a part of this,” said Lawrence. “It is incredible to let people know that we are here.”
Ms. Wheelchair USA is a national program funded by the Dane Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Ohio that was created to serve people with physical and developmental disabilities.
The contest started as a statewide contest in Ohio about 23 years ago and has become a televised contest with women from all over the United States.
“We are excited about the opportunity to share the stories of the amazing and talented women in the Ms. Wheelchair USA organization,” said Lowery Lockard, executive producer and founder of Ms. Wheelchair USA.
The national competition takes place from July 11 to 18 in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. To get there, Lawrence will need to cover the cost of his flight and hotel stay.
She was born in West Virginia, but said she fell in love with the Summerville community after several visits during the summer months.
She learned of the Ms. Wheelchair USA program through a friend’s Instagram post. She said before that she never knew that there was any kind of contest or competition specifically for women who use a wheelchair.
What really propelled her to compete for the South Carolina title was that the program was not a beauty contest.
“You are being judged for your skills and the reach of the community,” she said.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, the competition part in South Carolina was virtual. There was an enrollment and an essay on what each competitor’s platform would be.
Lawrence’s platform is about mental health and resource accessibility. He was inspired by his own mental health journey.
Now 40, she has spent 37 years without needing a wheelchair. But she suffered an injury that permanently damaged her spinal nerves, which made her lose the use of her right leg.
She said that there were many doctors around her focused on making sure that she was physically well. “But during that time, there was no one checking my mental health,” she said.
There was also a situation where she had to find an entirely new therapist because there was no way to get into the office with her wheelchair. After struggling to find affordable and affordable mental health resources, she said she knew it was an important conversation.
According to the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about a third of adults with disabilities experience frequent mental distress.
In dealing with his own initial mental health battle, Lawrence also lives and manages constant anxiety. Another inspiration for her to enter the contest, her therapist’s advice to get out of her comfort zone.
She said she was absolutely shocked when she found out she won.
“It’s something I never expected to happen,” she said. “I am overcoming and fulfilling all these goals that I am setting”.
Those wishing to support Lawrence can send an email to [email protected] about donations or visit the foundation’s website at thedanefoundation.org and click on the donate tab to Ashley Lawrence.
The contest winners will spend a year representing their individual platform, the Dane Foundation and the crown at the state, regional and national levels. Lawrence said that regardless of whether she wins, she hopes to be able to work more around mental health awareness with more resources.
“I feel like I can reach more people about the problems,” she said.
Catch up Jerrel Floyd at 843-937-5558. Follow him on Twitter @ jfloyd134.