The Grand Canyon speaks for itself. I have not been, but you better believe I’m going as soon as I get this whole, “Can we go see Mickey Mouse’s Club House” thing out of my son’s system.

The Foundation sent a team last fall (pictured here) and everyone one of them loved it. Some in chairs, some not. The group that we are working with — The Walking Connection — has adventures for all levels of abilities. Continue Reading »

By Judith Shatto

I know personally the danger of drunk driving; the pain, heartbreak, consequences, and rage it can cause. My son and I live it every day. He is a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the chest down because of a drunk driver.

Having the opportunity to write my experience has been somewhat overwhelming to say the least. The opportunity I am calling my purge. To release the negative emotions I have held on to; to let others know that no matter how difficult life gets, if you look over your shoulder, there is often times someone with greater pain. Seems trivial but the saying – if life gives you lemons, make lemonade is true. Some of us just take longer to start squeezing them!

The first year of my son’s injury I fell into a deep hole of depression. I was so angry. Actually, anger isn’t the right word. I was living in rage. I was angry at the world, at God, and especially the drunk and our court system. I was overwhelmed with the fear of not understanding or knowing anything about spinal cord injuries. Overwhelmed and stuck in that place many of us know…the whys. Deep down I had enough faith that I knew we would get through this. I just didn’t know how long it would take. And the hole I found myself in was so deep; forget the rope, I was hanging on by a thread. Continue Reading »

About 5.6 million Americans have some degree of paralysis, far more than previously thought, according to the findings of a survey by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

Previously, the highest estimate of paralyzed Americans was 4 million.

Stem cell research has taken off since President Obama signed an executive order freeing federal funds for work on any type of stem cells. There is promising research being done, and a number of clinical trials are underway. Continue Reading »

The emotional and psychological effects of a spinal injury can be devastating. Not only can it affect the loved ones around you, but it can also have far reaching consequences on other major areas of your life. In most cases, you will have to make huge financial adjustments depending on the extent of your injury. If you have been victim to a spinal injury at work, in a road traffic accident, or a fall, then you may be entitled to compensation. Continue Reading »

(HealthNewsDigest.com) – GAINESVILLE, Fla. — For more than 400 years, scientists have studied the amazing regenerative power of salamanders, trying to understand how these creatures routinely repair injuries that would usually leave humans and other mammals paralyzed — or worse.

Now, fueled by a highly competitive National Institutes of Health Grand Opportunity grant of $2.4 million, a multi-institutional team of researchers associated with the University of Florida McKnight Brain Institute’s Regeneration Project has begun creating genomic tools necessary to compare the extraordinary regenerative capacity of the Mexican axolotl salamander with established mouse models of human disease and injury. Continue Reading »

Don’t be intimidated when shopping for a gift for someone in a wheelchair this holiday season. We gathered some top-notch ideas from wheelchair users and scoured all types of manufactures for their best bets.

We found 26 gifts in 8 categories from a wheelchair fishing pole to Wheelchair Pals (the hippo is pictured). Continue Reading »

The results of a clinical study, recently published in the journal Spinal Cord, indicate that the use of Cran-Max(R) Cranberry Concentrate for people with spinal cord injury resulted in a significant reduction in both the incidence of urinary tract infection (UTI) and the number of subjects with a UTI over a 12-month period.  In the randomized, double-blind, cross-over trial, conducted at the Spinal Cord Injury Unit of the Veterans Administration Hospital in Boston, MA, 16 subjects had 21 UTIs while taking the placebo, compared to only six subjects who had seven UTIs while taking the Cran-Max cranberry concentrate. Continue Reading »

Research analysts at UConn invite individuals who use wheelchairs to participate in this survey and share thoughts and opinions pertaining to wheelchair use. Responses will remain confidential and will provide valuable insight into current needs in an effort to promote the development of improved wheelchair services and technologies. The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete and consists of about 40 questions. Continue Reading »

Retrospective review.Objective:Spinal cord injury is a known risk factor for bladder cancer. The risk of bladder cancer has been reported at 16-28 times higher than the general population. Earlier studies have identified indwelling catheters as risk factors. We examined the characteristics of bladder cancers in a spinal cord injury (SCI) population.

Long Beach VA Hospital Spinal Cord Injury Unit, Long Beach, California. Continue Reading »

Data are sparse concerning the long-term effects of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors for erectile dysfunction (ED).

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of long-term sildenafil use in subjects with ED caused by spinal cord injury (SCI). Continue Reading »