Written by Russell “Pinky”, for AccessibleGO, April 27, 2022
Russell (also known as Pinky), is the CEO of Pink Oracle; a nonprofit organization fighting for ADA accessibility for all. In addition to his own organization, Pinky also volunteers for the Rare Disease Legislative Advocates as a Congressional witness, as well as moderates the LGBTQIA+ member group; Volunteers for United Spinal’s Advocacy Committee; Sits on special project board for the Spinal Cord Injury & Disorders Center for the Veterans Administration; and also is a Member of the Eastern Caribbean Alliance for Diversity and Equality Organization. When not volunteering, Pinky can be found working as an actor and model for the Gamut Management Agency; or performing on stage doing Drag to help raise money for multiple charities. He also is an award winning video producer for television and advertising; as well as trained as a natural foods chef. Pinky lives outside of Philadelphia with his husband John and near their two children and grandchild.
If you asked anyone who knows me well, they would tell you I am a highly rational and deeply skeptical scrutinizing person; someone who generally requires scientific proof before ever accepting a theory or concept.
However, I just recently returned from visiting the Curacao Dolphin Therapy and Research Center and got to sample a single therapy session working with a dolphin named Bonnie; in which I experienced something that can only be rationalized as Magic. I live with an incurable rare disease (Charcot-Marie-Tooth) that affects my neurological system and I also sustained a spine injury years back that makes use of my legs very difficult; so my expectations of what to expect were pretty low before starting; but I could have never expected enchanted mammals would change my world. Somehow (with my heart pounding hard enough that I thought it might actually burst from my wetsuit), I got into the lagoon to do my therapy session carrying over 40 years worth of fear and anxiety of swimming in the ocean and interacting with sea life… but within minutes of laying hands on Bonnie in our session, it was if I had never had an ounce of those fears in my entire life and my anxiety was just GONE! Not to negate the other miraculous fact that my legs (which have not voluntarily moved on their own in years), were trying to kick in the water without the usual focus and attention needed to swing my hips to imitate normal leg movements.
I know what you’re thinking, “That’s impossible… that doesn’t just happen that simply!” Normally I would be totally agreeing with you because even I had hesitancy in my heart about what the possible success rate might be for people with physical disabilities with the dolphin therapy program before arriving? Or if the program did anything beyond just offer an amazing opportunity to bond with a dolphin over a couple of weeks? After a lifetime of unsuccessful therapies, a lack of working treatments and no prospect of a cure in my immediate future; I tend to highly scrutinize any new suggested therapies because there is only so often you can have your heart broken when those rare or unique therapies don’t work out (or work at all).
