KC nonprofit helping spinal cord injury patients afford equipment insurance won't cover

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Grant Stephens covers downtown Kansas City, Missouri. He also focuses on stories of consumer interest. Share your story idea with Grant.

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Nathan Powell has lived with a spinal cord injury since he was shot at 12 years old. Now 36, he is focused less on his own struggle and more on helping others manage theirs.

Powell founded the Nathan Powell Foundation, a nonprofit helping people with spinal cord injuries afford critical medical equipment - while also pushing for a more accessible Kansas City.

Accessibility is a daily reality for people who use wheelchairs, showing up at every curb and every uneven stretch of sidewalk.

"Sometimes the sidewalks aren't clear. Like outside my house, one of the sidewalks, it's not totally flat," Powell said.

Kansas City has made improvements over the years with ADA ramps and accessible crossings, but advocates say significant work remains.

"We've come a long way. However, there's a lot of work to do," Robert Honan, Chief CIL Services Officer at The Whole Person, said.

Powell and Honan say another daily obstacle - one that can be harder to see - is the cost of living independently with a disability.

"Well, funding is always a big issue. People with disabilities need assistance in order to live independently," Honan said.

Finding money to pay for specialized equipment is a recurring challenge, made more difficult by federal funding cuts.

"Insurance doesn't pay for everything. And then it it leads on to the families and the individual as well to pay for all that stuff," Powell said.

The cost of individual items can add up quickly.

"Some of these items cost a lot of money, and so if you can't pay for it, then the option isn't available," Powell said.

The Nathan Powell Foundation helps families pay for expensive medical equipment that insurance often won't fully cover.

Powell says starting the foundation is his was of giving back to a community that has helped him so much over. the years.

“I really want to make a difference in the world, and I want to pay it forward," he said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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