CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) — Former boxing champion and Rhode Island native Gary “Tiger” Balletto opened the doors Tuesday to the state’s first adaptive gym designed for those struggling with paralysis.
WILLMAR — A diving accident the summer after he graduated from Willmar High School changed the whole course of Peter Grahn’s life.
The spinal cord injury he suffered was life-altering but it’s also what led him to his calling — as a researcher into the intricacies of neuromodulation at the Mayo Clinic.
The work he’s doing at Mayo could someday enable people like him to recover, even if only partially, from spinal cord injuries that limit their ability to walk, use their hands and move around freely.
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Months after Timmy Brodigan nearly died aboard an Amtrak train, the 16-year-old is taking incredible steps on his long road to recovery.
On December 18, Timmy was on board Amtrak 501, headed to see cousins in Oregon, when it derailed. In a mangled train car, first responders found the 16-year-old upside down and barely breathing.
Timmy ended up in the ICU with a broken neck and several other injuries. He was practically paralyzed and needed a ventilator to breath. At that point, his family didn’t know if he’d survive.
Laura Dominguez-Tauer is a living, breathing example of what it takes to overcome adversity. An oil spill on a San Antonio freeway is blamed for the car crash that sent Laura and her brother directly into a retaining wall in 2001. As she lay tangled in the middle of the car, she heard a paramedic say, “get a neck brace, she has a broken neck.”
“I didn’t feel anything. I couldn’t move my arms, I couldn’t move my hands,”
Laura was paralyzed from the neck down. “I didn’t feel anything. I couldn’t move my arms, I couldn’t move my hands,” Laura said.
Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) patients come to Burke’s inpatient acute rehabilitation program directly from the hospital/trauma center where they were treated and stabilized to prevent further damage to the spinal cord. Once at Burke, an intensive rehabilitation phase begins.
Physical therapy is crucial at this stage, because many of the gains the patient will make in movement happen during this time. Strengthening muscles and improving flexibility shapes the individual’s ability to make ongoing progress afterwards.
SONOMA, Calif. (KGO) — ABC7 is recognizing a swimmer who is determined to help others after a spinal cord injury left him paralyzed.
There are those days that will change your life forever. For Theo St. Francis, it was a Saturday, a sunny afternoon in Boston Harbor. It unfolded quickly on August 24th, almost four years ago.
Todd Duitsman has made extraordinary progress since he suffered spinal-cord injuries while body surfing at Big Beach on Maui in 2014. And with unfailing grace and good humor, he inspires others.
EVERETT — With a weightlifter’s grimace, Todd Duitsman focused on exercising his arms. Like most everyone else using the Marysville Family YMCA’s fitness equipment, he was hard at work.
But Duitsman isn’t like everyone else. The Stanwood man is a quadriplegic.
As the #1 referral choice for SCI patients from all over the world, we are renowned for innovative, interdisciplinary care. By integrating advances in research and technology, we continuously enhance medical and functional outcomes.
You want to recover what’s most important in your life — be it mobility, independence or walking again. Together we reach for those goals.
Doctors and nurses in our Spinal Cord Innovation Center provide specialized care. Our state-of-the-art Ability Labs infuse science into treatment. The goal: helping you get your life back.
NextStep is an internationally recognized non-profit that makes life-changing rehab and fitness accessible and affordable to individuals living with paralysis. Today, most of these individuals are deprived of the resources they desperately need to live long, healthy and happy lives. NextStep’s goal is to open NextStep paralysis recovery centers across the country to ensure an improved quality-of-life and a continuum of care for this underserved population. By offering the state-of-the-art equipment, world class certified trainers, cutting edge therapies; our centers provide the best chance for recovery, health, and independence.
NextStep Locations: Los Angeles, Orlando, Atlanta, and Kansas City
We are a team of wellness specialists and engineers, prompted to create our product by the frustration in seeing individuals who do not have the proper means to get active or stay active.
Information published on this website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, always consult with a health care professional. Any copyrighted material used on this website is property of the respective owner. If you do not want to share your content, please let us know, it will be removed upon request. The Spinal Cord Injury Zone is 100% not-for-profit, all proceeds are donated to spinal cord injury related charities.
