A Quadriplegic Developer’s Story: From Nursing Home to Production Deployments

Hi, I’m Matt — a self-taught full-stack developer and C5 quadriplegic. Six years ago I was a commercial fisherman. A diving accident during a morning swim changed everything — I broke my neck. I Became paralyzed collarbone down and lost hand function. Eventually I ended up in a nursing home, alone, broke and powerless. I needed to take back control. So I taught myself how to code — day after day, typing one key at a time on an old Windows PC. It was slow. Frustrating. But I kept at it. With persistence, discipline and focus things evolved. The self-doubt was replaced with ability. Today, I build beautiful things with a MacBook, voice commands, styluses, and AI. And I’d love to share what I’ve made.

May 26, 2025 - 22:50

A Quadriplegic Developer’s Story: From Nursing Home to Production Deployments

Hi, I’m Matt — a self-taught full-stack developer and C5 quadriplegic.

Six years ago I was a commercial fisherman. A diving accident during a morning swim changed everything — I broke my neck. I Became paralyzed collarbone down and lost hand function. Eventually I ended up in a nursing home, alone, broke and powerless.

I needed to take back control. So I taught myself how to code — day after day, typing one key at a time on an old Windows PC. It was slow. Frustrating. But I kept at it.

With persistence, discipline and focus things evolved. The self-doubt was replaced with ability.

Today, I build beautiful things with a MacBook, voice commands, styluses, and AI. And I’d love to share what I’ve made.