Thom Bierdz’s account of his brother’s struggle with schizophrenia is horrifying for anyone to read, let alone for someone who has firsthand experience with serious mental illness. The families lack of access to resources or information, a parents desperate and often lonely attempts to be a caregiver, the gradual descent into self medication with drugs and eventual imprisonment, is sadly enough, a common story. However, some facts need to be emphasized. Schizophrenia is a rare mental illness; under 1% of the population is diagnosed with it. The bulk of people with serious mental illness are usually the victims of violence, not the perpetrators. In 2010, most states have a support and information for families in this situation.

Unique Clothing Line Raises Funds & Awareness for Stem Cell Research

By:  Kelly Rouba


For many years after she was paralyzed in a car accident as a teenager, Sabrina Cohen remained very conscious of her self-image. Like most people who use wheelchairs, Cohen didn’t want the mobility device to be what others noticed about her.

“I didn’t want people to generalize” because I used a wheelchair, Cohen said. “It really took me a long time to get over that image thing.”

But for those who haven’t quite embraced their disability yet (not to mention those who just want to make a bold statement), Cohen has developed a line of clothing that is sure to help keep the public’s eye off your wheelchair and on you. According to Cohen’s website (www.sabrinacohenfoundation.org), her “progressive line of t-shirts (were) created to act as a vehicle of change, armed with bold messages made of  double-entendres too provocative to go unnoticed.  At a first glance, the messages may be fun, catchy or shocking. Take a closer look and discover the message advertises a disease that can benefit from stem cell research.”

The messages scrolled across Cohen’s line of shirts are certainly eye-catching and sure to be noticed. For instance, one shirt, which also comes in a tank top, has a logo that reads:  My Boobs are Killer:  Fight Breast Cancer. The message on another shirt reads:  I'm Sick of Pricks: Fight Diabetes.

However, some of the shirts have more subdued themes, like Be Negative: Fight Aids or Therapy didn't work:  Fight Paralysis.

While it may seem that Cohen’s intent behind designing the clothing line was purely for shock value, her real goal was to put “a unique spin” on creating awareness among the general public of the challenges faced by people living with diseases and disabilities, from AIDS to spinal cord injuries.

Aside from clothing, Cohen also has other items with the same messages on them for sale on her website, like mugs, bracelets, and key chains. A percentage of all profits go to her non-profit organization, the Sabrina Cohen Foundation for Stem Cell Research. In 2006, Cohen created the foundation to raise money for stem cell research and to educate the public on “the infinite solutions it can provide for curing disease.”

While Cohen has been speaking to audiences of all ages since only a few months after her injury, she now hosts events and does speaking engagements mostly to promote the foundation. “To have the opportunity to start an organization that is not only about curing spinal cord injury but other (conditions) was very intriguing to me. I think a wheelchair is a great tool for people to visually see you and get educated from,” she said.

This year, Cohen hopes to award two monetary gifts from the funds she has raised so far. The gifts will be used to fund secondary stage research for any number of diseases, from cancer to diabetes, in the field of stem cell research, Cohen says.

Cohen also has a few other plans this year. “My goal for right now for 2009 is to really focus on raising more money through private donors and private foundations,” she said. At present, the foundation is run by Cohen and several board members, so she also hopes to expand by hiring several staff members.

It is clear from talking with Cohen how important her advocacy work is and how much she has invested in her foundation. Gone are the days when she wished she could hide her disability and reluctantly spoke about it in public.

“I really didn’t want to do (public speaking when I was young) because I didn’t want to be that person that people could learn from because for me it was really just a temporary gig, like ‘I’m just hurt for a little while, so who am I to be doing this?’ I didn’t want to accept that position, but I found inspiration through helping others,” Cohen says.

To learn more about the Sabrina Cohen Foundation and stem cell research, visit www.sabrinacohenfoundation.org.