Vaughn Pfeffer

Advisory Board

In January 2021, Vaughn was working out at a local gym and suffered an aortic dissection which resulted in a spinal cord stroke leaving Vaughn paralyzed from the waist down. He spent the first 2 weeks of recovery at Massachusetts General Hospital in the Cardiac ICU before being transferred to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Charlestown for the following four months. The first 6 weeks at Spaulding were especially tough for Vaughn because visitors were not allowed but it helped Vaughn focus strictly on his recovery.

Vaughn now dedicates his time to recovery by participating at Journey Forward in Canton, MA twice a week and doing whatever he can to stay busy on his own whether it’s going for long pushes around town in his wheelchair, reading in his standing frame, or working out at the YMCA. Vaughn also spends time as a mentor on social media by documenting his recovery journey and doing what he can to be a source of inspiration for others going through their own recoveries.

Prior to Vaughn’s injury, he worked in operations for Good Sports, a national non-profit whose mission is to donate brand-new sports equipment to children in high-need communities. Vaughn also serves on the Advisory Board for The Book Prose, a local non-profit designed to get new and gently used books into the hands of children in underserved communities.