If you've lived with a spinal cord injury for any length of time, you'll know that your brain quickly becomes your greatest ally. When your body refuses to cooperate, your imagination often steps in to fill the gap.

Take young Lionel, for example. While most people see a perfectly ordinary stoma bag tucked under his jumper, Lionel clearly sees something rather more exclusive. 

The funny thing is, humour like this serves a much bigger purpose than raising a smile. Many people living with SCI spend long periods at home, sometimes alone, dealing with routines that rarely change. Finding ways to laugh, create or simply keep the mind occupied isn't a luxury—it's an important part of protecting mental wellbeing. 

One thing we've learned through our spinal injury training is that great carers don't just support physical health—they encourage mental stimulation too because mental and emotional wellbeing deserve

just as much attention as clinical interventions.

Next week on Life of Lionel: Next week we discuss clients that aren't as nice as Lionel.

What hobby, interest or little daily ritual has helped keep your spirits up during your SCI journey—or if you're a carer, what have you seen make the biggest difference? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.