Articles - August 2008 en-us http://www.thescizone.com/news N/A http://www.thescizone.com/news michael@thescizone.com 20 http://www.thescizone.com/news/articles/1664/1/Youve-got-to-hand-it-to-them-/1.html Paraplegics cross country on special cycles to raise funds for medical researchLes McLaughlin, one of four paraplegic men crossing Canada on hand cycles, demonstrates the vehicle that makes it all possible. The men are hoping to collect 30 cents from every Canadian for regenerative nerve research they hope will eventually help paraplegics walk again."Paralyzed rats are now able to walk because of this research, and I believe some day I’ll walk again and so will anyone who has a spinal cord injury," he said. michael@thescizone.com (Michael Feger) Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.thescizone.com/news/articles/1665/1/Where-Are-They-Now--Mike-Utley/1.html Sense of adventure, sense of humor survived crippling injuryMike Utley went deaf in his right ear while having dinner in January. He was robbed of equilibrium and made so sick he had to seek a doctor the next day. He traded partial hearing for a nonstop fire alarm that still reverberates in his head. This was nothing more than piling on for the former Washington State and Detroit Lions football player, left a quadriplegic nearly 17 years ago when the offensive guard suffered a spinal cord injury while slammed to the ground on a pass-blocking play. michael@thescizone.com (Michael Feger) Thu, 28 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.thescizone.com/news/articles/1663/1/Research-aims-to-put-tongues-in-control-of-devices-/1.html The tireless tongue already controls taste and speech, helps kiss and swallow and fights germs. Now scientists hope to add one more ability to the mouthy muscle, and turn it into a computer control pad. Georgia Tech researchers believe a magnetic, tongue-powered system could transform a disabled person's mouth into a virtual computer, teeth into a keyboard - and tongue into the key that manipulates it all. "You could have full control over your environment by just being able to move your tongue," said Maysam Ghovanloo, a Georgia Tech assistant professor who leads the team's research. michael@thescizone.com (Michael Feger) Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.thescizone.com/news/articles/1662/1/Spine-injury-breakthrough/1.html Scientists funded by Masterton's CatWalk Trust have developed a breakthrough gel that has the potential to improve healing in spinal cord damage repair. "This is huge we're very excited the money we spent is looking like it's going to be extremely beneficial we're buzzing," trust founder Catriona Williams said. A former international equestrian representative, Mrs Williams founded the CatWalk Trust in 2005 after a fall from a horse in 2002 left her a C6-7 tetraplegic. The group funds research looking for a cure for spinal cord injuries. michael@thescizone.com (Michael Feger) Sat, 23 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.thescizone.com/news/articles/1660/1/Two-Oakdale-men-headed-to-Beijing-for-paralympics/1.html Jon Rydberg and Dan James will be representing their hometown of Oakdale and their country by heading to Beijing this September to compete in the U.S. Paralympics. This is Rydberg's second Paralympics and he will be competing in singles and doubles wheelchair tennis. "It's one of the coolest things you can do," Rydberg said. "Representing your country, your state, everything like that. It's a whole package deal." michael@thescizone.com (Michael Feger) Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.thescizone.com/news/articles/1661/1/Reeve-Foundation-Recruits-Distinguished-Stem-Cell-Neurobiologist/1.html The Salk Institute's Samuel L. Pfaff, Ph.D. - to its International Research ConsortThe Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation today announced it has expanded the work of its International Consortium on Spinal Cord Injury to include a focus on the study of stem cells in injury and repair. Samuel L. Pfaff, Ph.D., of The Salk Institute, who has demonstrated expertise in stem cell biology and spinal cord expertise, has joined the Consortium as a Principal Investigator. michael@thescizone.com (Michael Feger) Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.thescizone.com/news/articles/1659/1/Family-friends-rally-to-help-chef-fight-back-from-injury/1.html It happened in an instant. Dave Hartung was driving home from work the day after Christmas when a car darted from the shoulder of Interstate 97 and across two lanes to reach a ramp to U.S. 50. The vehicle smashed his car. While describing the crash to state troopers, Hartung now realizes, he was in shock. He went home to Severn and only in a few hours did he realize he was in pain, he said. At the hospital, doctors found that the accident had crushed four vertebrae in Hartung's spine and partially severed his spinal cord. michael@thescizone.com (Michael Feger) Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.thescizone.com/news/articles/1658/1/-Ex-quadriplegic-bikes-to-Tulsa--/1.html In a stop on a nationwide tour, he encourages others with disabilities. Wiggling a single toe was the impossible goal Aaron Baker dreamed about achieving in 1999. Nine years later and more than 1,500 miles into his trek, Baker is pedaling a specially made, three-wheel bicycle across the country to show others what it means to beat the impossible. "I'm crazy enough to ride a bicycle all the way here from San Francisco," Baker said. michael@thescizone.com (Michael Feger) Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.thescizone.com/news/articles/1657/1/Special-needs-players-showcase-their-shots/1.html The sun was shining, the balls were flying and the chairs were rolling yesterday at the Fanshawe Golf Course Parkside Nine. It was the eighth annual Madame Lise Thibault Golf Tournament, a three-person-per-team golf scramble for people with disabilities. The city donates the course -- the first in North America for people with disabilities -- for the day, Olizarevitch said. The course is flat and the greens are built on firm soil to allow a wheelchair to drive over them, he said. "There's no sand traps, no water, all on a 10-acre parcel of land." michael@thescizone.com (Michael Feger) Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.thescizone.com/news/articles/1656/1/Homes-for-Our-Troops-to-build-house-for-paralyzed-Marine/1.html Marine Joshua Hoffman was paralyzed by a sniper's bullet in Iraq in January 2007. At left is his mother, Reed City resident Hazel Hoffman, and fiancee, Heather Lovell pictured during a day out from a Virginia veterans hospital in 2007. Heather Lovell knows how her fiance, injured veteran Josh Hoffman, feels about moving to a home that's to be built especially to meet his needs. "He's so excited. He doesn't even have to say anything. You can see it in his face," Lovell said. michael@thescizone.com (Michael Feger) Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0400