CARTER
Michael Carter had an active lifestyle up until he was diagnosed with Ataxia around the age of 30. Ever since then, he's had to adjust his lifestyle to fit with his new disability. As Carter gets older, he's trying to hold on to the last bit of independence he has left.
Michael Carter works from 7am to 11am during the week at Bowling Green Park and Recreation to hold on to his independence and make a living for himself. He has been working there for over a year, and BGPR works with him and his condition so he is comfortable while working. BGPR has open arms to people with disabilities, whether it's hiring people or hosting the Special Olympics.
Carter struggles a lot to move around with his condition when his job duties require him to get up. Ataxia is damage to part of the brain that affects his spinal cord and also causes nerve damage throughout his body, which causes him to struggle to move. "Moving and getting up is really hard for me, and I do not look forward to the day I can't stand up without assistance." said Carter
Pedro Bradshaw thanks Carter for letting him and his friends come here to practice as Pedro prepares for the basketball season in the fall for the Indiana Pacers G-League team. Carter is hard of hearing because of his condition, so he asked Pedro to speak louder and to come closer.
Carter, with his condition, requires a service dog to help him keep balance and is there to keep him safe. His dog, Chunk, is currently being trained by Carter, so he often trains him at work while there is downtime. "Chunk may not be a fully trained service dog but he's there for me when most people aren't." said Carter
Carter likes to train Chunk when there are people at the gym to become more disciplined when out in public.
Carter loses balance, holds on to Chunk, and reaches for his chair for support. To make sure Carter doesn't fall, Chunk will move in front of him to balance him out.
Chunk opens the door for Carter as a part of his training. Carter will use any opportunity to help train Chunk to be an official service dog. It took Chunk a few tries to open the door, but he finally opened it on his fourth try.
Carter will take Chunk on walks whenever the weather is nice around town. He will walk Chunk all around downtown, and they love going to Circus Square Park.
Carter doesn't go out much besides going to work, so going to get groceries with Chunk is another training experience for him. Carter also doesn't have much human interaction except when going to the grocery store.
Carter buckles in Chunk for their car ride home. As Carter gets older, it gets harder for him to drive, and he only does it to go to and from work. He enjoys driving because it is one of the last little bits of independence he has left. "It's getting really hard for me to drive, especially at night, but I enjoy what little I do of it," Carter said.
Part of Carter's routine when he gets home is to feed and take out his dogs, Chunk and Flare. Flare is Carter's former service dog, who is now just his house dog to keep him and Chunk company.
Chunk watches over Carter leans on his laundry basket. It's hard for Carter to stand up on his own, so he has to lean on anything stable to stop himself from falling over.
To end their nights, Carter and Chunk wind down with dinner and TV after being tired from work all morning. Ataxia causes Carter to become fatigued very easily, so right after work and his chores, he takes a nap shortly after eating. Chunk lays on him for compression therapy, which helps the veins return blood to your heart and prevent the pooling of blood and swelling. "When Chunk performs compression therapy on me, it helps my body heal and rest."
