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Use your mind, keep body safe
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Paralyzed former race car driver takes advice about spinal cord injuries to students in South Florida high schools.
The high-tech,
mechanized wheelchair caught their attention. Students at McArthur High
School in Hollywood sat spellbound as former race car driver Darrell
Gwynn, 45, of Weston, spoke to them about using their minds to make
good choices to keep their bodies safe.
The
discussion was part of the first Florida Spinal Cord Injury Awareness
Week, aimed at paralysis prevention and promoting safety knowledge and
understanding to reduce injuries and accidents.
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Turning pain to gain
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 More than 18 years ago, 20-year-old Dale Spencer of Bartlett tripped
and fell by a set of railroad tracks while taking a shortcut to a party
at Northern Illinois University.The 40-foot plunge left Spencer with a spinal cord injury, paralyzing him from the waist down for the rest of his life. And
even though Spencer always will see his days from a wheelchair, this
U46 board member has taken his tragedy and given it a positive spin. He
now gives motivational speeches to local middle schools and high
schools through the ThinkFirst Injury Prevention Foundation, a national
group that works to prevent injuries through education, research, and
legislative policy.
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Oh, to be young and uninsured: Bad idea
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Young people tend to take more risks than older folks, which is why you don't see many 50-year-olds competing in the X Games.
But even if you're not planning to compete in
the Skateboard Vert, you shouldn't go a day without health insurance.
Bad stuff happens, even to people who are young and healthy and feel
invincible.
A serious case of pneumonia could cost you more
than $75,000. A head injury from a car accident could set you back
$45,000. Bills from a spinal cord injury could exceed $600,000.
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Connecticut Murderball
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The State's Wheelchair Rugby Team Rolls Out Hard.
Depending on how you read the situation, the Connecticut Jammers are either having a bad year or a great one.
The state’s wheelchair rugby team’s one-and-nine record
isn’t impressive, but other factors have to be considered. Like
how the team’s roster has swelled to 10 players thanks to recent
mainstream exposure to the sport, and some of the team’s troubles
are explained by the addition of players new to the game.
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Back on her feet
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When Gianna Cotroneo broke her back in a sledding accident last year, doctors warned she might never walk again. Today, Gianna's wheelchair is a thing of the past. This time last year, Gianna Cotroneo was in a wheelchair, her back
in a brace and on the mend after a sledding crash fractured part of her
spine.
This time last year, doctors had told the Woodbury teenager she had
a slim chance of walking again — and even if she was able to, it
could take up to two years, maybe more.
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Near-term goal is to walk again
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Therapy - A hit-and-run driver took away a young OSU
student's baseball dream, for now Last year: The Oregon native was in his sophomore year at
Oregon State University, working on a business major
(finance management) and playing baseball. He weighed 195
pounds with about 6 percent body fat.
This year: Summers is at home with his parents and younger
brother, dealing with what he calls "just a little
detour."
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Use your mind, keep body safe
|
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Paralyzed former race car driver takes advice about spinal cord injuries to students in South Florida high schools.
The high-tech,
mechanized wheelchair caught their attention. Students at McArthur High
School in Hollywood sat spellbound as former race car driver Darrell
Gwynn, 45, of Weston, spoke to them about using their minds to make
good choices to keep their bodies safe.
The
discussion was part of the first Florida Spinal Cord Injury Awareness
Week, aimed at paralysis prevention and promoting safety knowledge and
understanding to reduce injuries and accidents.
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Injured teen, close-knit town meet challenge
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 Bobby Graham's recovery from a paralyzing spinal-cord injury last January has been an example of grace and determination.
The 15-year-old and a friend, Michael Smallwood, 18, were in a
near-fatal car crash only a week after another automobile accident took
the lives of Hartshorne students Candace Russell, 17, and Mitch
Telinde, 18.
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Drew's Life After paralysis
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Every small gain celebrated, but 'it's a fragile place to be
Drew Donnellan, 16, suffered a spinal cord injury May 12 when he over-rotated during a flip at gymnastics practice. The boy from Jamaica — adopted as an infant by Fran when she was in the Peace Corps — was diagnosed with quadriplegia and spent more than three months at Craig Hospital, a spinal cord center in Denver.
Drew came home Aug. 30, and returned to Salpointe Catholic High School two weeks later.
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A gift of independence
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Disabled man regains some freedom with specially fitted carSean
Corner gets a hug and a set of car keys from his friend Jeff Stewart
who raised the money to buy Sean a Chrysler Pacifica outfitted with
hand controls.
Ron Stewart asked a bunch of
his friends to kick in $1,000 each to help buy a specially equipped car
for Sean Corner, the 21-year-old rugby player paralyzed in a game in
September.
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December 2006
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