About
2016 was a pretty pivotal year for both Katarina and me. We would both spend another four years navigating life (with some newly found changes to our bodies) before we would ever meet one another, however our timelines seem to run parallel.
I, Sam Scribner, am a Florida born 29 year old man who prior to spinal cord injury loved to surf, skate, play music and have a good time. In April of 2016 I took a spill out of a hammock while playing with friends. I broke me C5 vertebrae that evening severing my spinal cord resulting in paralysis from my chest down. I have some arm function, some wrist function, however no finger movement. I live life in a wheelchair, I require a good bit of help to complete daily tasks, and I do so on a social security income. I'm incredibly lucky to have a support system I do around me, I don't for a second take for granted the fact that my family will always be there for me. With that, as Katarina and I start to create our own life together, we realize the mountain of obstacles my disability can present. Life can become a constant battle with Medicare, Social Security, and long-term care. Making sure that we have a good reliable help is a must so we can just focus on working let alone a balanced healthy life. My sister was my caregiver for three years and during that time we worked tirelessly to convert a school bus into a wheelchair accessible traveling vehicle. Having my family as caregivers brought us closer together than I could've ever imagined, but I'm at a point in my life where I need autonomy and my family deserves to have their own lives.
As my sister and I were wrapping up our bus build in late 2019, our Instagram account received a message from Katarina. My sister and I were running the Instagram account, however Alex responded to Katarina and they actually made plans to hang out. Katarina reached out because she was building a Ford transit van out and was living just minutes down the road from us in central Florida at the time. Over the next few months Katarina and I would get to know each other through a series of long messages we would send one another on Instagram.
March 2020…
As the world was shutting down around us, Katarina and I were learning to open up to one another. With my disability comes a weak diaphragm, which makes me pretty vulnerable to any sort of respiratory issues. For the first few weeks we were doing front porch dates, and for those who know Florida, the heat was an issue. Another side effect of my spinal cord injury is my inability to sweat, eventually what happens is I just start to overheat which can result in me passing out. I didn't want my time to end with Katarina so I would just pour cold water on my head to try and regulate my temperature. Katarina, new to this whole spinal cord injury lifestyle, was such a sport and rolled with the punches. And be like, "No, no, this is totally normal, don't worry…" After a few months we finally were able to get closer than 6 feet to one another, and our love grew tenfold. Is it incredible feeling getting to know someone and constantly being reassured that the universe has sent you your person.
Just a few months after meeting, I ended up moving with my family out to New Smyrna Beach on Florida's East Coast. Katarina was a trooper at the time and would drive back-and-forth. It was so difficult because she would come over and stay for a few days and then go back and stay with her folks. The poor girl was so transient in this period and didn't really have a home, so after a few months she ended up moving in with me into a studio mother-in-law on my folks property. It was very tight quarters. We were both living, sleeping & working in about 600 ft.² and after a while it's started to take its toll on our relationship. One of my favorite aspects of Katarina and I's relationship is our ability to communicate with one another. We knew that our love was strong but the circumstances needed to change and thankfully Katarina was able to find an apartment just around the corner. This gave us both the space that we needed and our relationship has only grown since.
After a year of not living together, Katarina and I actually just moved into a home in Edgewater where we finally have our own personal spot to mutually call home. We are over the moon to be back under the same roof and to finally have the alone time that our relationship has been craving. While in the studio, it was difficult living with my folks and maintaining our own autonomy in our relationship. Having a place where we can cut loose and truly enjoy our time with just one another is a luxury we have not had.
Renovations to come, which you will be able to follow along with us via social media