Tetraplegia Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weakness or paralysis leading to partial o ...

, also known as quadriplegia, is paralysis caused by illness or injury 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. The loss is usually sensory and motor, which means that both sensation and control are lost. The paralysis may be

flaccid Flaccid paralysis is a neurological condition characterized by weakness or paralysis and reduced muscle tone without other obvious cause (e.g., trauma). This abnormal condition may be caused by disease or by trauma affecting the nerves associated ...

or spastic.

Notable people with quadriplegia

Anne-Marie Alonzo Anne-Marie Alonzo, (December 13, 1951 – June 11, 2005) was a Canadian playwright, poet, novelist, critic and publisher. Born in Alexandria, Egypt, she immigrated to Quebec when she was twelve. In 1966 she was the victim of a car accident wh ...

(1951–2005) – Canadian writer and publisher; in 1966 she was the victim of a car accident which left her

quadriplegic Tetraplegia, also known as quadriplegia, is defined as the dysfunction or loss of motor and/or sensory function in the cervical area of the spinal cord. A loss of motor function can present as either weakness or paralysis leading to partial or ...

and using a wheelchair. *

Max Brito Max Brito (8 April 1968 – 19 December 2022) was an Ivorian rugby union player on the Ivory Coast rugby team. As a result of injuries sustained at the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa, he was paralysed. As of 2007, he could only move hi ...

(1971–2022) – Ivoirian

international International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

player; paralyzed in a match against

Tonga Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...

in the

1995 Rugby World Cup The 1995 Rugby World Cup was the third Rugby World Cup. It was hosted and won by South Africa, and was the first Rugby World Cup in which every match was held in one country. The World Cup was the first major sporting event to take place in Sou ...

. * John Callahan (1951–2010) – Cartoonist, became a quadriplegic in an auto accident at age 21 *

Walter Harris Callow Walter Harris Callow (1896–1958) was a Canadian veteran who invented the accessibility bus for veterans returning from WW2 and others in wheelchairs (1947). He designed and managed the Walter Callow Wheelchair Bus, while he himself was blind, ...

(1896–1958) – inventor of the wheelchair accessible bus. *

Roy Campanella Roy Campanella (November 19, 1921 – June 26, 1993), nicknamed "Campy", was an American baseball player, primarily as a catcher. The Philadelphia native played in the Negro leagues and Mexican League for nine years before entering the minor lea ...

(1921–1993) – American baseball player. Paralyzed in a 1958 auto accident. * John Carter (1815–1850) – English artist *

Vic Chesnutt James Victor Chesnutt (November 12, 1964 – December 25, 2009) was an American singer-songwriter from Athens, Georgia. His first album, ''Little'', was released in 1990. His commercial breakthrough came in 1996 with the release of '' Sweet ...

(1964–2009) – Singer/songwriter *

Chuck Close Charles Thomas Close (July 5, 1940 – August 19, 2021) was an American painter, visual artist, and photographer who made massive-scale photorealist and abstract portraits of himself and others. Close also created photo portraits using a very l ...

(1940-2021) – American painter *

Darren Drozdov Darren Adrian Drozdov (born April 7, 1969), professionally known as Droz, is an American essayist, former National Football League (NFL) football player and former professional wrestler who competed in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1 ...

(born 1969) – Professional wrestler, injured in a match with

D'Lo Brown Accie Julius Connor (born October 22, 1970), better known by his ring name D'Lo Brown (also formatted as D-Lo Brown), is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in Impact Wrestling and WWE. Brown is also known for h ...

. *

Brooke Ellison Brooke Mackenzie Ellison (born October 20, 1978) is an American politician. She is known for being the first quadriplegic to graduate from Harvard University. History On September 4, 1990, at the age of 11, Brooke was hit by a car while walking ...

(born 1978) – First quadriplegic to graduate from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. Paralyzed when struck by a car in 1990. *

Jeff Erlanger Jeffrey Clay Erlanger (November 30, 1970 – June 10, 2007) was an American advocate and activist for disability rights. He is known for appearing on ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' when he was 10 years old, talking about his electric whe ...

(1970–2007) – Activist, appeared on

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' (sometimes shortened to ''Mister Rogers'') is an American half-hour educational children's television series that ran from 1968 to 2001, and was created and hosted by Fred Rogers. The series ''Misterogers'' deb ...

. * Steven Fletcher (born 1972) –

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

Member of Parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members o ...

, paralyzed in an auto accident. *

John Paul Getty III John Paul Getty III (; born Eugene Paul Getty II; November 4, 1956February 5, 2011) was the grandson of American oil tycoon J. Paul Getty, who was once the richest man in the world. While living in Rome in 1973, he was kidnapped by the 'Ndrangh ...

(1956–2011) – Son of J. Paul Getty, left disabled after suffering a stroke. *

Matt Hampson Matthew "Hambo" Hampson (born is an English former rugby union prop who became paralysed from the neck down (C4/5 tetraplegic), after a scrummaging accident when practising with England under-21 squad in March 2005. His condition requires pe ...

(born 1984) – England rugby player, paralysed in a scrummaging accident. * Stephen Hawking (1942–2018) –

Physicist A physicist is a scientist who specializes in the field of physics, which encompasses the interactions of matter and energy at all length and time scales in the physical universe. Physicists generally are interested in the root or ultimate cau ...

, paralyzed due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis *

Kent Hehr Kent Hehr (born December 16, 1969) is a Canadian politician from Alberta. He was elected as the Liberal Member of Parliament for the riding of Calgary Centre in the 2015 federal election. Hehr was named Minister of Veterans Affairs in the ...

(born 1969) – Canadian politician,

from 2015–present. Paralyzed in shooting accident at age 22. *

Jim Langevin James R. Langevin ( ; born April 22, 1964) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the first quadriplegic to serve in Congress; Langevin was appointed to be the first ...

(born 1964) American politician, member of the

US House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

and first member of

US Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washin ...

to serve with quadriplegia. *

Jill Kinmont Jill Kinmont Boothe (February 16, 1936 – February 9, 2012) was a notable American alpine ski racer. Her life story was turned into two major Hollywood movies ''The Other Side of the Mountain'' and its sequel ''The Other Side of the Mountain Part ...

(1936–2012) – U.S. skier, paralyzed in a skiing accident in 1955, subject of the movie ''The Other Side of the Mountain'' * Samuel Koch (born 1987) – German actor and former stuntman who became paralysed in an accident while filming '' Wetten, dass..?'' in 2010 * Oksana Kononets (born 1992) – Ukrainian model *

Eric LeGrand Eric J. LeGrand (born September 4, 1990) is a former American football defensive tackle who played college football at Rutgers. He became paralyzed while making a tackle in an October 2010 game, but has since regained movement in his shoulders ...

(born 1990) – College football player. Paralyzed in a 2010 football game, but has since regained movement to his shoulders and feeling to most of his body. *

Jocelyn Lovell Jocelyn Charles Bjorn Lovell (19 July 1950 – 3 June 2016) was a Canadian cyclist. He won dozens of Canadian national titles for track and road cycling in the 1970s and early 1980s, as well as gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and Pan A ...

(born 1950) – Canadian cyclist hit by a truck while on a training ride. * Tom Luckey (1940–2012) – American architect and sculptor best known for creating abstract playgrounds known as Luckey Climbers. Paralyzed due to a fall in 2005. *

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, and one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

(1942–1999) –

Soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun '' soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest atte ...

singer/songwriter, paralyzed in a stage accident in 1990. * Guy McElroy (1948-1990) – American art historian and

curator A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...

Elena Mukhina Elena Vyacheslavovna Mukhina (russian: Елена Вячеславовна Мухина; first name sometimes rendered "Yelena", last name sometimes rendered "Muchina"; 1 June 196022 December 2006) was a Soviet gymnast who won the all-around t ...

(1960–2006) –

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

gymnast Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...

and 1978 World AA Champion, paralyzed as a result of an under-rotation in a practice routine. * Anam Najam – Pakistani quadriplegic psychiatrist. * Craig H. Neilsen (1941-2006)– American gaming executive who founded Ameristar Casinos, Inc., and formed th
Craig H. Neilsen Foundation
to fund scientific research and quality-of-life programs for people living with spinal cord injuries. * Dinesh Palipana (born 1984) – 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. *

Teddy Pendergrass Theodore DeReese Pendergrass (March 26, 1950 – January 13, 2010) was an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter. He was born in Kingstree, South Carolina. Pendergrass spent most of his life in the Philadelphia area, and initially rose to musi ...

(1950–2010) – soul singer, paralyzed in an auto accident in 1982. * Edward Rainey (born 1961) – Scottish painter *

Christopher Reeve Christopher D'Olier Reeve (September 25, 1952 – October 10, 2004) was an American actor, best known for playing the title character in the film '' Superman'' (1978) and three sequels. Born in New York City and raised in Princeton, New Jersey ...

(1952–2004) – Actor, injured in a 1995

eventing Eventing (also known as three day eventing or horse trials) is an equestrian event where a single horse and rider combine and compete against other competitors across the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country, and show jumping. This ...

accident. * Ed Roberts (1939–1995) – Disability rights activist, first quadriplegic to attend the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

. * George Robinson (born 1997) – Actor, injured in a 2015 rugby match. * Patrick Rummerfield (born 1953) – first fully recovered quadriplegic, athlete, motivational speaker *

Ramón Sampedro Ramón Sampedro Cameán (5 January 1943 – 12 January 1998) was a Spanish seaman and writer. Sampedro became a quadriplegic at the age of 25 (on 23 August 1968), following a diving accident, and fought for his right to assisted dying for the fol ...

(1943–1998) –

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

fisherman, whose struggle for the right to die was dramatized in the film ''

Mar Adentro ''The Sea Inside'' ( es, Mar adentro) is a 2004 Spanish psychological drama film co-written and directed by Alejandro Amenábar, who also co-produced, scored and edited. It is based on the real-life story of Ramón Sampedro (played by Javier Bard ...

.'' *

Sam Schmidt Samuel Schmidt (born August 15, 1964) is a former Indy Racing League driver and current NTT IndyCar Series and Indy Lights series team owner. Schmidt's brief IndyCar career included a win in 1999, but an accident before the 2000 season left him ...

(born 1964) – IndyCar racing driver, paralysed in 2000 testing crash. * Ken Slater (1924–1963), Australian rules footballer and tennis player, paralyzed in car accident. * Mary Lou Spiess (1931–1992), American designer of disabled fashion, paralyzed as a result of polio. *

Darryl Stingley Darryl Floyd Stingley (September 18, 1951April 5, 2007) was an American professional football player, a wide receiver whose career was ended at age 26 by an on-field spinal cord injury. He played his entire five-year career with the New England ...

(1951–2007) –

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...

player, paralyzed in a 1978 exhibition game. *

Sam Sullivan Sam Sullivan (born November 13, 1959) is a Canadian politician who had served as the MLA for Vancouver-False Creek. Previously, he served as the Minister of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development with responsibility for Translink in the ...

(born 1959) – Canadian politician,

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

from 2005 to 2008. Paralyzed in a skiing accident at age 19. *

Joni Eareckson Tada Joni Eareckson Tada (born October 15, 1949) is an evangelical Christian author, radio host, artist, and founder of Joni and Friends, an organization "accelerating Christian ministry in the disability community". Early life Joni Eareckson was b ...

(born 1949) – Christian author and motivational speaker, paralyzed in a 1967 diving accident. *

James Troesh James Troesh, also known as Jim Troesh (1956–2011) was an actor, screenwriter and entertainment industry disability advocate. He was paralyzed when at the age of 14 following an accident in the family home, which rendered him quadriplegic for ...

, aka Jim Troesh (1956–2011) -- 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. * Barbara Turnbull (1965–2015) – Canadian newspaper journalist, and motivational writer, paralyzed in a 1993 robbery. *

Mike Utley Michael Gerard Utley (born December 20, 1965) is a former American football player. He played for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League from 1989 through 1991, when he was paralyzed during a game. Early life and college career A gr ...

(born 1965) – Former Detroit Lions lineman, injured on a Barry Sanders touchdown run in 1991. * Johnnie Wilder Jr. (1949–2006) – Co-founder and lead vocalist of the international R&B/funk group

Heatwave A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in th ...

. * Frank Williams (1942–2021) – Co-founder of

Williams Racing Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited, currently racing in Formula One as Williams Racing, is a British Formula One motor racing team and constructor. It was founded by former team owner Frank Williams and automotive engineer Patrick Head ...

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

. Injured in a 1986 car accident. *

Sheikh Ahmed Yassin Sheikh Ahmed Ismail Hassan Yassin ( ar, الشيخ أحمد إسماعيل حسن ياسين; 1 January 1937 – 22 March 2004) was a Palestinian politician and imam who founded Hamas, a militant Islamist and Palestinian nationalist organi ...

(1937–2004) – Former leader of

Hamas Hamas (, ; , ; an acronym of , "Islamic Resistance Movement") is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam ...

* Mark Zupan (born 1975) – American

wheelchair rugby Wheelchair rugby (originally murderball, and known as quad rugby in the United States) is a team sport for athletes with a disability. It is practised in over twenty-five countries around the world and is a summer Paralympic sport. The US na ...

player, featured in the film '' Murderball''. Paralyzed in a 1993 auto accident. * RockyNoHands (born 1987) – Online alias of Rocky Stoutenburgh, American gaming streamer. First quadriplegic to be signed to an esports organization.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of People With Quadriplegia Quadriplegia

Notable people with quadriplegia

See also

References