July 17, 2026

Jared Potter - Monthly Donor Spotlight

Jared Potter

In October of 2023, I had a paragliding accident that resulted in a T12/L1 spinal cord injury (SCI). My life suddenly looked completely different than it had the day before.

Me right after the paragliding accident that left me paralyzed in October 2023.

I first heard about Unite 2 Fight Paralysis (U2FP) through Quinn Brett. I had been following Quinn’s SCI journey on Instagram for a few years. When I learned about a movie event she was hosting in Colorado in May of 2024, I decided to check it out. She spoke about her work with U2FP and mentioned their Annual Science and Advocacy Symposium, which would be happening in Atlanta later that year. I was intrigued, so I signed up and went. 

I'll be honest, U2FP’s Symposium was a reality check. It helped me begin to understand the complexity of my injury, and I learned a lot about what the recovery and research landscape actually looks like. 

Despite the challenging and sometimes overwhelming amount of information at the meeting in Atlanta, I also realized that U2FP was doing a lot of things to speed recovery. In particular, their legislative funding efforts ($83M passed or restored to date) helped me see the real ways U2FP supports the SCI community. I left the 2024 Symposium thinking: Okay, this is real - these people are actually moving things forward.

Yes, this is me trying to create some levity around my injury. Fortunately I’ve met plenty of people in this community who embrace the therapeutic nature of dark humor.

I became a monthly donor not long after the Atlanta Symposium. For me it wasn't a complicated decision, but a sustainable way to support work that matters. I don't have to think about when or how much I'm going to donate at different times of the year. I just chose an amount and it happens every month, and the work keeps going.

I'm not sitting around waiting for a magical cure. That's not how I think about this. What I care about is functional recovery — independent breathing, hand function, autonomic regulation — the stuff that changes your actual daily life. If we make progress in those areas, those are stepping stones to greater recovery that benefits everyone in the SCI community, regardless of injury level. 

And when someone tells me they don't see the point of SCI research because their injury is lower level, I don't argue about cure. I talk about function. After my injury, I struggled with extreme nerve pain in my legs. Last year, I was able to get a spinal cord stimulator, which has helped me better manage this pain. And of course there is still work to be done on bowel, bladder and sexual function. I put this before the naysayers and then I invite them in. 

One of the great things about being a monthly donor is the community U2FP has created for their supporters. I participate in their monthly Social Crew calls, which are one of the key ways I stay engaged. It's not just writing a check — it's being part of a community. If you're a younger person with an SCI and you're not sure where to start, follow U2FP on social media, sign up for their emails, or reach out to someone at the organization, then come jump on a call. Just get in the room - everyone is great.

And if you're a supporter and have been thinking about whether to become a monthly donor, my advice is simple: just do it. Five, ten, twenty, fifty dollars a month (or more) adds up to real advocacy, real research, real change. I've seen it firsthand.

This fall I'll also be racing with Team U2FP in the Twin Cities Marathon (learn more here). Last year was my first year participating and it was a great way to hang out with my SCI friends and U2FP staff, getting to know this organization on a more personal level. These folks are doing great work! The Twin Cities race accepts all kinds of adaptive mobility devices so anyone can participate. It’s another way to help spread the word, raise funds and support recovery efforts for our community!  

U2FP is trying to add 33 new monthly donors, in honor of the $33M they helped restore for SCI research at the federal level (you can read about the coordinated effort they spearheaded here). I’m proud to have been a monthly donor for the last two years and would love it if you joined me to help this organization that I love.

Join us!

PS - Quinn just told me there are going to be some cool incentives (ie PRIZES!) for new monthly donors. Stay tuned for announcements about what those are, along with upcoming testimonials from other monthly donors in the U2FP community!