Niels Smaby and Tina Hendrickson: volunteer experience changed their lives

 

Niels Smaby, his wife Tina Hendrickson, & their children:
their connection to Abilities United changed their lives.

Abilities United can change people’s lives, whether it’s for the lives of participants, their families, or even  volunteers. Just ask Niels Smaby and his wife Tina Hendrickson.  

Niels and Tina first became involved with what is now Abilities United when they were at Stanford in the late 1980s. “We happened to both take a class called ‘Understanding The Handicapped,’ and through this we came to volunteer at the pool at Abilities United,” says Tina. Little did either of them know that the next few months would have an enormous impact on the rest of their lives.  

First, through working together, Niels and Tina became close, and before long they were married. “Many of our co-workers and clients from Abilities United came to the wedding,” says Tina as she fondly recalls the memory.  

Second, the experience at Abilities United was to shape their life perspective and Niels' career.  

“The pool was a great place to be and a great experience,” says Niels. “After I graduated I worked two jobs for a while, as a physical therapy aide in downtown Palo Alto, and at Abilities United Betty Wright Swim Center. At my physical therapy job, I was struck at how people would complain about how their injuries impacted things like their tennis game or their golf swing. Then I’d go to the pool and work with people who had more significant disabilities, and they didn’t complain at all.”  

“One of the men I worked with has cerebral palsy. His therapy includes walking in the pool,” says Niels. “We spent a lot of time together in the water, walking and talking, and we became good friends. I eventually went over to his house to help him get his home computer work area set-up, as he has some unique needs because of his disability.”
Niels became increasingly interested in assistive technology. In the coming years he designed custom devices to aid people with disabilities in their jobs. He also worked at the Veteran’s Administration helping improve reconstructive surgical processes to give vets with spinal cord injuries better use of their hands. Today Niels is an engineer at Intuitive Surgical, which designs and manufactures surgical robots used in laparoscopic surgical procedures.

Niels' and Tina's early experience at Abilities United also impacts their family's next generation.  Their two daughters learned to swim at the Abilities United Betty Wright Swim Center. “They were in the pool when they were a couple months old,” says Tina. “The warm water was perfect for infants. They’ve continued swimming at Abilities United ever since.”  

 “Volunteering at Abilities United was an amazing life experience,” says Neils. Tina then adds “The people we worked with were so appreciative, but I think I got even more out of the experience than they did.”

Based on a 2013 interview with Niels Smaby & Tina Hendrickson.  Written by Bob Thomas, edited by  Niels Smaby, Tina Hendrickson and Wendy Kuehnl