Lisa is joined by Mark Raymond, Jr. who talks about the Spilt Second Foundation and Split Second Fitness which is dedicated to people living with paralysis, stroke, or amputation.
Mark shares his personal experience with paralysis and all of the wonderful work that the Split Second Foundation and Split Second Fitness do.
Mark has a deep-rooted history of serving the community. Building on the legacy of his grandfather, A.P. Tureaud, Mark has played a vital role in advancing various equity-centered efforts across the Greater New Orleans area and beyond. From renaming historic streets and landmarks in New Orleans to creating a more accessible and robust rehabilitative health infrastructure in the Gulf South, Mark’s aptitude for cultivating relationships and driving coordinated, healing-centered change has been vital to the advancement of those most disadvantaged.
Mark’s commitment to fighting for justice and equity started as a child but was intensified following a shallow diving accident in 2016, in which he damaged the vertebrae by the base of his neck and lost the ability to walk. For Mark, this life-changing experience illuminated the reality of disparities in access, and there were very few community resources to turn to for help. His new disability and lack of support ultimately pushed him to advocate for millions of others by transforming the split-second that led to his injury into a life filled with awareness, hope, and action.
He founded Split Second Foundation to make people aware of a growing population of individuals impacted by disability, advocate for their rights, fund cutting-edge research, and provide clear-cut steps to immediately improve their quality of life.
20.6 million Americans live with some form of ambulatory disability, requiring a mobility device. Many of these people face an isolated world with few social interactions, health complications, a higher risk of suicide, a shorter life expectancy, and few places to turn to.
Split Second Cares is a reintegration program for those who have suffered from a recent neurological disorder such as a spinal cord injury. The program will help patients transition from inpatient rehabilitation back into society and will include a mental health component, case management, and other services for those living with paralysis or amputation in Louisiana.
Split Second Fitness is the first facility in Louisiana dedicated to people living with paralysis, stroke, or amputation.
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