The cloudy atmosphere above the crowd gathered in front of QLI’s Colladay Center does little to dampen the attitude and anticipation. All around stand clients and team members, decked out in distinct colors—the house teams, ready to represent and dominate the races within the QLI In Motion event. QLI client Alicia Townsend kicks off the day. Able to meet the gaze of the participants from a stand table, she starts in on the opening notes of the national anthem. Her voice—clear, direct, and confident.
Singing is not merely a passion for Alicia. It is her life—past, present, and future. She recalls the beginnings of participating in the church choir as a young girl, evolving to a later time where (at first on a whim) to busk in the subway stations of Chicago. That environment, in its openness to raw, unfiltered feedback and criticism from the masses, did not turn Alicia away, but inspired and compelled her. A sit-in
at the House of Blues in Chicago changed everything when singing transformed into her livelihood. For over a decade, she’s been a fixture in the Chicago blues scene, and a touring mainstay, being prolific not only domestically but abroad in Latin and South America, supporting some of the greatest in the genre. It may not have been the avenue of her life that she anticipated, but gloriously, it came to be hers. With three bright children in addition to her career, Alicia settled into the quick rhythms of a very active and fulfilling life.
When the symptoms of the spinal cord stroke began, with waves of shooting pain and discomfort, doctors initially dismissed what Alicia was experiencing as an anxiety attack. She started losing the ability to walk, waiting in an emergency room for more than nine hours before being admitted. In addition to her mobility troubles, the stroke had diminished the strength and capabilities of her arms and hands, as well as a lessened lung capacity. Alicia’s voice may have been reduced, but it was not gone for good.
Time spent recuperating from a significant injury not only removes one from physical norms but also from the things one holds dear and loves to experience. Time spent initially at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab provided the foundation for work that would begin to take hold and flourish when Alicia arrived at QLI in March 2025. Initially, first impressions from Alicia were skeptical and a tad trepidatious, but the team made it abundantly clear through their actions how they would focus on her whole self, the physical intertwined with the mental component. For Alicia, that combination of an exterior and interior focus was centered around singing. Independence, therefore, means both approaching Alicia’s rehabilitation in the general and the specific. Physically, major goals involve building up arm strength, working with physical therapist Connor Davis to activate the triceps, meaning Alicia would be better able to hold a microphone in front of her face. Further sessions in the Ekso Bionics exoskeleton meant a clear easing of blood pressure systems, and helped to better circulate blood flow, providing support in a way a standing table can when it comes to being able to sing confidently, with full diaphragm support.
With occupational therapist Melissa Faller, practicing abilities in dressing and bed transfers meant that independence could be worked towards, and crucially, that stress related to those activities could be relieved. Confidence was finally stirred, both Melissa and life path specialist Janelle Thomas note, when during an OT session, Alicia was able to fully apply her makeup, even when disbelieving the chance of it happening right before. Moments like this reignited both confidence and agency. “Alicia is open to anything, and she is continually seeking out new opportunities,” says Melissa.
This feeling culminated when Alicia collaborated with the Life Path team, Alicia began to host weekly karaoke nights in the Lied Life Center. “For me, singing has always been about building a community,” Alicia notes. It allows for a kind of connection that few activities can bring. But again, it wasn’t just about
getting Alicia back to an arbitrary physical baseline but providing the space to pursue interests and get in touch with herself once more. “At the beginning of this,” Alicia reflects, “I was devastated, but I refuse to let this define me. I’ve taken it and turned my disability into a strength.” The mind is key for her. “If you want to live, you will.”
Categories: Life Path Services, Spinal Cord Stroke