Mike Cafferty is a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the shoulders down from a car accident in September, 1988. He uses a sip-and-puff wheelchair to ambulate; a voice-activated computer program to type and utilize his computer; and a mouth stick to turn pages, write, dial and answer the telephone.
Cafferty is a lifelong resident of Chicago, growing up Catholic on the city’s South Side with two sisters and immigrant parents from Ireland. After his accident, he first attended Junior college then graduated from the University of Illinois. He later graduated from DePaul University College of Law and is currently an attorney for the Cook County Public Guardian’s Office in Chicago assisting mentally incompetent clients with their personal and financial affairs. He is also a member of the Chicago Bar Association and the Illinois Spinal Cord Injury Association. Cafferty lives on Chicago’s Near West Side with his wife of ten years and two adorable children. He was recently diagnosed with stage IV colon and liver cancer and is currently receiving chemotherapy.
