Kevin Nisius: From despair to inspiration

June 14, 2013, began as a carefree day in the life of 22-year-old Kevin Nisius. He was traveling with his soccer club, SV Menzelen, to Center-Park Zandvoort for the end of the season. The evening there was exuberant, full of fun and joy - until a moment of youthful carelessness turned into tragedy. While the boys were barbecuing by the small lake in front of the team bungalows, some of them got into play-fighting for fun. Kevin fell headfirst into the water. The water was only about a foot deep. "After the impact, it felt like lightning was hitting my head," he says looking back. He tried to move, but nothing worked. The consequences: three broken cervical vertebrae, a damaged spinal cord and paraplegia from the neck down.

Kevin Nisius was immediately rushed to a hospital in Amsterdam. A complicated operation was followed by a difficult time in intensive care with his own nurse. He was then transferred to a clinic in Duisburg for another six months. The first weeks were a nightmare for Kevin. He can barely remember the accident itself, but the diagnosis was a blow. "I always thought I would walk out of the hospital," he recalls. Although this is sometimes possible with incomplete spinal cord injuries, his hopes for a full recovery were not realized, despite intensive therapy. Instead, Kevin began a new journey and decided to embrace it fully.

He was never alone. He received support from family and friends, as well as from employees at the Borth site of K+S AG which was then still known as esco. The visit to the clinic by his superiors and the works council, which earned him a permanent employment contract, was a turning point: "That was just wonderful. They believed in me when I didn't know what was going to happen. To give him moral support and cheer him up, colleagues from Borth visited him every Sunday. Among the people who accompanied and supported Kevin Nisius on his way to professional integration were his supervisor, Sebastian Wardemann, a foreman in surface electrical engineering, and Matthias Hüppe, who is now head of electrical engineering. Both visited him frequently in the clinic and were able to witness the initial recovery of various nerve functions. "I am very proud that Kevin has stayed with us," says Sebastian Wardemann today.

In 2011, Kevin Nisius completed his training as an industrial electronics technician at esco. When he had his accident in 2013, he could have been "easily fired," as he says, because his temporary contract was expiring. But instead of giving up on him, the company did everything it could to reintegrate him into the workforce.

His supervisor, Sebastian Wardemann, took a lot of time and brought Kevin Nisius to the site several times before his return to K+S so that he and his old colleagues could adjust to the new situation as well as possible. Initially, a workstation was set up for him in the break room. This was only a temporary solution because his workplace had to be completely rebuilt: doors were widened, a disabled toilet was installed and his computer was equipped with a special control system using voice recognition. But it was not just the technical solutions that helped Kevin. It was the support of his team and the trust of his managers.

Initially, Kevin Nisius was trained by a colleague who was about to retire. He was supposed to take over the colleague's tasks, such as timekeeping, but felt underchallenged. He quickly became familiar with the DMS system and took on additional planning tasks. The plant was looking for someone to work in production planning. But he lacked the training to do so. "We didn't just want to keep Kevin busy, we wanted to give him a real sense of purpose in his career”, says Dirk Heinrich, Head of Production and Engineering above ground at the Borth site of K+S AG. With the support of the Federal Employment Agency and an integration officer, Kevin then successfully completed further training to become a state-certified technician. He now works in production planning and it's hard to imagine the department without him. Kevin has settled in very quickly and brings valuable ideas to the table," says Heinrich.

His colleagues appreciate Kevin as a humorous and open team player. "I am still the same loudmouth I was before my accident," he laughs. This normal interaction with others is especially important to him: "I never wanted to be pampered."

Kevin Nisius has also found his way outside of work. He has been living with his partner for eight years and they have a son. "I'm just like any other dad," says Kevin. Whether it's trips to amusement parks or cheering on his son at the trampoline gym, he is active and independent despite his physical limitations.

Regular physical therapy sessions are part of his daily routine, and a nursing service assists him in the mornings. But in the evening, Kevin wants to be independent. "I don't let anyone tell me when to go to bed," he says with a grin.

His attitude is reflected in his motto: "That's the way it is! You have to accept the situation and make the best of it. This pragmatism, coupled with his unwavering optimism, makes Kevin a role model - not just for people with disabilities, but for all of us.

In 2017, Kevin Nisius was one of eight recipients of the VdK Prize for Professional Integration. This award honors people who, despite severe disabilities, achieve outstanding results in their professional lives. The award was presented to him in front of about 100 invited guests, including actor Samuel Koch, who was paralyzed from the waist down after an accident during a "Wanna Bet?" television show.

Kevin Nisius proves that even the most difficult situations can be opportunities if you have the right people by your side and the will to take control of your destiny. His story is not only a success story, but an inspiration to anyone facing challenges.

We salute you, Kevin!