Sam Porritt's philanthropic journey began long before he took a wrong step that changed his life.

Porritt, originally from Peoria, Ill., was a marketing executive at Payless Shoe Source in Topeka, Kan., when he established a scholarship at his undergraduate alma mater, Illinois Wesleyan. The university’s head of fundraising explained the immense impact of providing for students who needed help filling the “gap” between what they could afford and the cost of attending the university.

The first time he met a student who received his scholarship, he was astounded.

“I gushed,” he said. “I was blown away by her and her vision for who she wanted to be and how my small gift helped make that possible.”

That meeting flipped a switch for Porritt, giving him a new perspective on philanthropy.

“I didn’t realize how little it took to change somebody’s life,” he said. A relatively modest investment on his part made a huge difference for a student in need. He went on to fund a second scholarship for undergraduate students at Illinois Wesleyan. It was an enlightening experience for him.

In 2011, his own trajectory changed with one misstep. While on vacation with his wife in Italy, Porritt lost his balance while taking a photo and tumbled over a 15-foot wall. He suffered a spinal cord injury and was paralyzed from the waist down. He had surgery at an Italian hospital and stayed for 17 days, uncertain if he would ever walk again. He flew home and was admitted to The University of Kansas Health System. That’s where he learned to walk again.

During his six weeks of rehabilitation, Porritt was impressed by the qualities he saw in all the health care professionals who cared for him.

“They are amazingly positive, encouraging, supportive people,” Porritt said. “They make a tough journey for a patient much more doable.”

Living through the process of rehabilitation sparked an idea for Porritt, and in 2013, he founded the Falling Forward Foundation, whose mission is to help people in therapy recover fully after catastrophic medical events.

In 2021, Porritt joined the Advancement Board at KU Medical Center and began to consider how he could best give back to the place that provided him with life-changing rehabilitative care. In 2021, he established the Samuel Porritt Rehabilitation Excellence Scholarship Fund at the School of Health Professions at KU Medical Center for students in rehabilitation fields.

“Scholarships really ring my bell,” he said.

“And here I was, benefiting from rehab education programs that are ranked among the top 10 in the country. Who knew? I never would have, if I hadn’t seen it in action myself.”

Abiodun Akinwuntan, dean of the School of Health Professions at KU Medical Center, became acquainted with Porritt while he arranged the details of the scholarship. “Sam is an exceptional and caring individual — a true giver who derives joy from making others happy,” Akinwuntan said. “Of all the times I have spent with Sam, his happiest moments are when he meets the recipients of the scholarship he established and realizes the impact of the award.”