Melissa Ann

Melissa Ann utilizes her second chance at life to reach the masses. She actively lives on the mission of empowering individuals, meeting them wherever they’re at in their journey. Her drive for life wasn’t always people focused though. 

Melissa became a quadriplegic at 18 years old, paralyzed from the neck down. One decision completely changed everything. What landed her in her current circumstances was not out of her control though. Because of this, Melissa is extremely passionate about bringing awareness to these devastating realities. So many people aren’t given a second chance, and because of that, it is her goal to prevent one destructive decision at a time.

After overcoming the anger and depression that came with the loss of her own body, Melissa decided to pursue an undergraduate in human communication and a masters in nonprofit management. She takes any opportunity she can get to share her personal story of turning tragedy into hope. Melissa is an ordinary person having an extraordinary opportunity to relate to people of all ages.

Melissa states, “How could I wake up every day and not help somebody else struggling? I know this life was never supposed to be about me, but unfortunately it took a life altering injury to see that. This doesn’t have to be the case for everybody though. Regardless of the trial or story, every moment we have a chance to break a negative cycle. I learned as a young adult that one quick decision to wreck a life. I also learned that so much hope is available when we choose to start over. I have a love for something so much greater than myself, and that’s people.”