My name is Ashley Hutton and on March 3, 1996, I suffered a T-8 spinal cord injury in an automobile accident.

The accident was due to bad weather conditions in my hometown of Buffalo, NY at the age of 5. Due to the doctor's negligence, they did not check my spinal cord for swelling resulting in my current injury. Growing up in my hometown, there were limited resources available to me in regards to rehabilitation and physical activity. While I did not let this hinder my ability to be involved in my school and community, it wasn't until I decided to go away to college in Arizona that I realized the incredible opportunities for me to gain my independence.

I have been a teacher for over five years and while it is what I love to do, in 2020 I came to the conclusion that my health is paramount. After giving so much physically and emotionally to my students, I realized that my general wellbeing needs to be taken care of as well. Therefore, I made the decision to leave teaching and come to The Perfect Step. While this decision was not easy to make, I am looking forward to focusing on myself and knowing that I deserve to feel healthy again.

Along with my Spinal Cord Injury, I also have scoliosis and lordosis that impacts my ability to sit comfortably for an extended period of time. Participating in the intensive program at the Perfect Step will allow me to strengthen my core which will simultaneously help with my posture as well. Additionally, I hope to stretch my hip flexors and knees since they are incredibly tight. There are many contributing factors to why I have been in pain recently and I am so fortunate to find the time and space to relieve this pain. With hard work, time, and dedication, I believe that The Perfect Step is the best fit for me.

Over the past several years I have unfortunately seen my pain level increase slowly. While it may not limit much activity now due to our restricted leisure time during a pandemic, I fully know it would limit the amount of traveling and social activities I could participate in with my husband, family, and friends. Furthermore, I am unable to walk all of my dogs by myself.

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While my journey has just started with The Perfect Step, I am excited to gain back the strength that I once had and even improve on that. I would not be able to do this without your help. Taking a step back from my career was incredibly difficult and I am beyond grateful for this opportunity.

Thank you so incredibly much for allowing me a safe and motivating place to not only feel more confident but to feel better physically as well. I look forward to working extremely hard in order to achieve a pain-free lifestyle. I truly cannot thank you enough for your support and your donations towards Be Perfect, as it has allowed me to attend The Perfect Step to fulfill my dreams.