Chasing Insight

Pete Panariello spends most of his time in a wheelchair. He was able-bodied until his mid-30s and still does not have a definitive diagnosis, however it is MS-related and is a form of Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia.  Pete has a magnetic, outgoing personality and everyone wants to be around him. You cannot help but feel uplifted in his presence because of his positivity and sense of humor.  The most frustrating thing for Pete is not having a diagnosis which means that he cannot answer the question WHY he is in a wheelchair. He talks about his experience of being in a wheelchair: ways that he is treated differently, feelings of self-consciousness, and how he deals with seeing old friends that did not know he was in a wheelchair. Pete's belief is that we all have "stuff", and it is not even a question for him to have a positive attitude on a daily basis. He does not give in to negativity or self-doubt. His advice to others is: YOU HAVE NO CHOICE. YOU CAN EITHER LIVE OR DIE. Pete sees everyday as a silve