Deborah Mellen's guest appearances

Deborah Mellen

Sandi Klein's Conversations with Creative Women

Back in Control Radio

Dr David Hanscom Blog Show

Jill Schlesinger

Nora McInerny

Jessica Thompson

Susan Johnson

Jenifer Foote

Lilli Cooper

Betty Buckley

Marin Alsop

Erin McKeown

Deb Brandon

Marika Lindholm

Debra Granik

Candice Marie

Eva Noblezada

Abby Epstein

OwlTail

A horrific car accident on Italy's Autostrata in 1989 left newly married Deborah Mellen, whose husband was not injured, with a severe spinal cord injury. Not only did she lose the use of her legs, but many other vital life functions were also impacted as well. Two years later Deborah's husband died, and she moved back to the States - Florida, to be exact. That's where a surgeon turned her on to Shake a Leg - an adaptive sailing and water sport center. Hooked, Deborah bought a wheelchair-accessible catamaran and eventually created the Impossible Dream, a non-profit organization that provides similar experiences for other wheel-bound men and women. This is one riveting, fascinating interview you won't want to miss!

A horrific car accident on Italy's Autostrata in 1989 left newly married Deborah Mellen, whose husband was not injured, with a severe spinal cord injury. Not only did she lose the use of her legs, but many other vital life functions were also impacted as well. Two years later Deborah's husband died, and she moved back to the States - Florida, to be exact. That's where a surgeon turned her on to Shake a Leg - an adaptive sailing and water sport center. Hooked, Deborah bought a wheelchair-accessible catamaran and eventually created the Impossible Dream, a non-profit organization that provides similar experiences for other wheel-bound men and women. This is one riveting, fascinating interview you won't want to miss!

Deborah Mellen  - Founder/CEO, The Impossible Dream

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks further with Deborah Mellen about her journey through a dark and painful period after suffering a car accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down and the death of her husband two years later from a heart attack. Her father, a Holocaust survivor, counseled her to keep moving forward and never ask “why?” as a way to get through her struggle. During her rehabilitation, she discovered her passion for sailing through the Shake-a-Leg organization in Miami, FL. She felt a sense of freedom and joy when she was on the water. She soon began volunteering with the organization. Building on that, she went on to create the Impossible Dream, Inc. a 501(c)(3) non-profit that offers others with disabilities the healing experience of sailing.Each summer, Deborah and the Impossible Dream catamaran travel over 4,000 miles from Miami to Maine and back, stopping in over a dozen ports to collaborate with the nation’s leading rehabilitation hospitals, advocacy organizations, and disability groups. At each stop, the Impossible Dream offers the opportunity to patients, participants, and their families for daysails around local waters at no cost to guests. During the sails, participants, converse with crew members, explore the universal design features of the vessel, and simply enjoy a day out on the water with loved ones. The daysails on the Impossible Dream serve as a foundation for members of the disabilities community to explore innovation, outdoor recreation, alternative rehabilitation, community building, and foster independence. Learn more at:  www.theimpossibledream.orgDownload a transcript of this podcast.

In this episode, Dr. David Hanscom talks further with Deborah Mellen about her journey through a dark and painful period after suffering a car accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down and the death of her husband two years later from a heart attack. Her father, a Holocaust survivor, counseled her to keep moving forward and never ask “why?” as a way to get through her struggle. During her rehabilitation, she discovered her passion for sailing through the Shake-a-Leg organization in Miami, FL. She felt a sense of freedom and joy when she was on the water. She soon began volunteering with the organization. Building on that, she went on to create the Impossible Dream, Inc. a 501(c)(3) non-profit that offers others with disabilities the healing experience of sailing. Each summer, Deborah and the Impossible Dream catamaran travel over 4,000 miles from Miami to Maine and back, stopping in over a dozen ports to collaborate with the nation’s leading rehabilitation hospitals, advocacy organizations, and disability groups. At each stop, the Impossible Dream offers the opportunity to patients, participants, and their families for daysails around local waters at no cost to guests. During the sails, participants, converse with crew members, explore the universal design features of the vessel, and simply enjoy a day out on the water with loved ones. The daysails on the Impossible Dream serve as a foundation for members of the disabilities community to explore innovation, outdoor recreation, alternative rehabilitation, community building, and foster independence. Learn more at:  <a href="http://www.theimpossibledream.org" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.theimpossibledream.org</a> Download a transcript of this podcast.

Deborah Mellen - Finding the Path Forward to Healing