inMotion Magazine

LOOKING FORWARD Action 29 “Teaching financial literacy has been so much fun for me,” said Christian Brown of central Florida. “I get to help people live their dreams! It gives me a great sense of purpose, and I jump out of bed excited to start the day.” Brown grew up in Brooklyn, New York and was one of 16 children. He spent his high school days at a local vocational school to become an electrical worker. “Back then, the goal was to study a trade to be able to get a reliable union job and make good money to pay the bills and raise a family,” said Brown. “Unfortunately, that ended up not being my path.” Brown lost his left hand in an accident and left the electrical trade soon after. He worked other jobs, moved to Florida, had three children, spent some time working for non-profits, and eventually trained to become a financial educator. “Being well and having my health is the most important thing to me,” said Brown. “And now, I want to help people build wealth. Money was always a struggle for me as an amputee because I didn’t ever learn about finances or money or savings, which led to a lack of money confidence overall. However, now that I’ve been trained as a financial educator, I get to educate others and continue my own learning!” Christian is all about being a lifelong learner. “Self-betterment is the name of the game for 2021,” he said. “I’ve decided to take action this year to spend more time doing things that I love. I’ll be documenting my hobbies so I can share them with others. Losing my hand changed my life,” added Brown. “I couldn’t have imagined back then where I would be now.” Christian has learned to grow microgreens, rides his bike on nature trails, cooks on a solar-powered grill, and loves using his GoPro camera to film his adventures throughout the state. And he wants to do even more. “I was thinking about learning how to kayak this year when my new prosthetic device is completed and delivered,” added Brown. “And, most of all, I want to get more involved with the Amputee Coalition and their outreach to the limb difference community. 2021 is going to be epic. There is life after limb loss!” The Amputee Coalition is here for Christian and here for you. For information, educational resources, and referrals, please contact the National Limb Loss Resource Center at 888-267-5669, extension 1 or go to amputee-coalition.org . STRONG HEALTH, BUILDING WEALTH: Christian Brown Carves His Own Path