HOLLAND, Ohio — Back in 2010, Jeremy Bigelow, a Northview High School football and hockey player, was in a horrific car accident and suffered a life-changing spinal cord injury.
Now, life is much different. But if you think being in a wheelchair would slow him down, think again.
Creating art takes time. It's a process. But for Bigelow, taking the time to get it right is what is most important.
"I've learned a lot about patience," Bigelow said. "It's now about how things turn out or being perfect. Being a perfectionist can kind of limit you. Just let the paint do what it wants to do and guide it along."
The former athlete turned to art as a hobby. He has come a long way in a short amount of time.
"I'm always trying to do bigger and better," he said. "I'm always excited to see what else I can come up with because every pattern or brush stroke we come up with always turns out really cool."
His art gives him freedom. For all the things he lost in that accident, painting gives him a chance to feel whole.
"It gives me some sort of independence that I lost," Bigelow said. "It allows me to do the kind of things that I want to do. I can control this chair, with my breath, and this straw. So, being able to move this paint and create some pretty awesome artwork gives me that satisfaction of 'I can still do things on my own.'
Bigelow has worked hard to bring awareness to spinal cord injuries as he has been pushing politicians to get funding for research and for people with the condition.
The fight is a difficult one, but for him, it's all worth it.
For more information you can head to Bigelow’s website.