Powering Through: How Jackery Became a Lifeline and A New Beginning

When Tye Martin left the desert landscapes of New Mexico for the rolling hills of Tennessee, he brought with him more than boxes and furniture.

He carried with him a shift from biomedical engineering to advocacy, from academia to storytelling, and from independence to interdependence. Now, Tye lives with muscular dystrophy, a progressive condition that has gradually eroded his physical strength. Today, he moves through the world in a power wheelchair and relies on a portable ventilator. For him, access to electricity isn’t just about convenience——it’s about survival. Back in graduate school, while prototyping adaptive devices to assist people with disabilities,, he first discovered Jackery during a search for portable power. What began as a tool for research soon became a lifeline—keeping his wheelchair, ventilator, and everyday devices charged, and giving him peace of mind in both routine and emergencies.

From Labs to Living Rooms

Tye’s story began in lecture halls and research labs. A PhD in biomedical engineering set him on the path to a professorship. He studied Alzheimer’s disease, explored adaptive technologies, and dreamt of advancing medicine. But a stay in the ICU, following a septic gallbladder, altered everything. The demands of academia collided with the realities of his health. Recovery became a full-time job. His initial profession and demands of grant deadlines and research pipelines gave way to a more fluid calling: social media advocacy and podcasting. Today, Tye hosts two episodes a week on his podcast called the TyePod from the disability community, weaving together diagnosis stories with the human richness that extends far beyond them.

The First Search for Power

Tye’s journey with Jackery began not in Tennessee, but years earlier, in graduate school. While prototyping adaptive devices, he realized that portable power could unlock new possibilities for accessibility. A search online led him to Jackery. Quickly, it became essential to his daily life. His wheelchair, ventilator, iPad, phone, and hotspot—all vital connections to work, health, and community—relied on a steady stream of electricity. Jackery provided the assurance that those streams would never run dry. 

Tye’s daily routine is tightly interwoven with technology. An iPad holds his world: work calls, podcast interviews, medical appointments, family chats, and moments of entertainment. A portable ventilator hums quietly in the background, supporting him throughout his day. He is able to plug in multiple devices throughout the day, often stretching beyond the reach of wall outlets. Jackery sits nearby—a vital presence that enables him to stay flexible and be at peace knowing that he has energy wherever he moves. Whether it’s charging a mouse pad, powering a hotspot during a rural outage, or keeping the ventilator running during long van rides, Jackery has become the partner in Tye’s independence.

Lightning Strikes and Outages

Soon after moving to Tennessee, lightning struck his home, knocking out half the house’s power—including the internet router. For most, it would have been an inconvenience. For Tye, it threatened his work, his health, and his peace of mind. With Jackery, he powered his phone, kept hotspot data flowing, and stayed connected. In another instance, in his home in New Mexico, Tye lived for days without the internet, relying on Jackery to keep devices alive and social media work moving forward. In both crises and everyday life, redundancy became his comfort. He now keeps two Jackery Explorer 300 Portable Power Stations charged and close, supporting the two ventilators he carries as backups. “Peace of mind,” he says simply, “is worth everything.”  

To the uninitiated, a power wheelchair or ventilator might appear as symbols of limitation. To Tye, they represent liberation. Technology, from voice-to-text on his iPad to portable energy from Jackery, extends his autonomy. “It gives you more freedom and access,” he explains. “It puts everyone on an even footing.” In his hands, Jackery is not just a device—it is part of the broader picture of independence. It ensures he can keep telling stories, connecting with others, and sustaining his advocacy mission without the anxiety of power loss.

Advocacy Fueled by Power

Tye’s podcast and online advocacy are powered not just by his iPad, but by the confidence that it will never fall dark mid-conversation. He recalls a message from someone in the disability community preparing for a camping trip, worried about keeping medical devices charged. Tye’s advice was immediate: “This is what I use.” His recommendation was more than product placement—it was a lifeline passed from one advocate to another. “Sharing tips and tricks,” he reflects, “is part of advocacy. It’s about access, about making life doable and connecting with others in ways that we can share our stories.”

When asked what Jackery represents, Tye pauses. His answer is deliberate: “It aligns with the mindset of everyone needing power access to fulfill or pursue whatever their goals or life mission is. Whether it’s recreational or work-related, Jackery levels the playing field.” For him, it is about possibility. The portability, multiple ports, and affordability of the Explorer 300 Plus make it practical, but the deeper value lies in what it enables: uninterrupted connection, continued creativity, and the quiet assurance that his ventilator will not fail when traffic stalls on a highway.

The Story Beyond the Story

Tye’s journey is not just one of adaptation—it is one of amplification. From biomedical research to podcasting, from ICU stays to recording podcasts, his story reflects the evolving ways people live, create, and thrive with disabilities. Jackery is not the hero of this story; Tye is. Jackery ensures that his voice—and the voices of those he uplifts—never fade into silence. It keeps conversations flowing, stories alive, and independence intact. For him, electricity is more than light and charge—it is continuity, presence, and hope. And in that, Jackery has become more than a product. It has become part of his story.