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Canine Companions reaches out to disabled vets
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 A former Marine Corps reservist disabled by a spinal cord injury says
many similarly injured troops he talks to are reluctant to apply for
assistance dogs.
"They still have that warrior mentality," said
Lance Weir, volunteer coordinator for Canine Companions for
Independence in Oceanside. "They're still looking out for that person
next to them. Very often they'll say they don't want to take a dog away
from someone else."
Weir is working to dispel that notion.
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Helping Hands teaches Needham students about safety, with the help of a monkey
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 Marie Waitkevich is trying to talk seriously about the importance of
wearing a helmet, but a small monkey keeps banging a walnut on the
table behind her, eliciting shrieks of laughter from her audience.“Not
all monkeys eat walnuts this way,” she told her elementary school
audience. “Lindsay is particularly good at opening them up.” Lindsay,
a 14-year-old helper monkey, is nearly ready to graduate from Monkey
College, where she is being trained to serve as a personal attendant
for a severely disabled recipient. She took a break from her studies
last week to visit the Eliot School to help Waitkevich, a veterinarian
technician at Helping Hands, teach students about disabilities.
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Reaching her goal one step at a time
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 Most of the citizens of Barrhead and surrounding communities know the
Preugschas family. Whether it was through their kids being involved in
sports and 4-H, or through the family's pig farm out in Bloomsbury,
chances are you know them. On June 2, 1997, their world was changed
forever. On their way home from a wedding in Minnesota, they were in a
car accident. 18 year-old Nolan was killed, and 16 year-old Trina broke
her neck and was paralyzed from the neck down.
Following the accident, Trina spent close to 4 months at the Glenrose
Rehabilitation Hospital where she underwent daily physical therapy.
When she moved back home, her work continued.
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Love Bloomed, Despite Paralysis, After She Saved His Life
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Maryann Soucy and Daniel Spradley went bowling on their first date in
2005. Last week they bowled again - Danny's first outing since August.
"I
used to be so athletic. I worked hard," says Danny, currently in
rehabilitation at the Hospital for Special Care in New Britain. "I
struggle now to put on my shirt," a task he wrestled with for five
months after being told he would never move his arms again.
"I
can't put on my sweater. My muscle strength isn't there yet," Danny
says. But "I'm hoping to be home by June 16. My goal is to be somewhat
self-sufficient" by then, his 28th birthday.
He and Maryann
are planning their wedding for the summer of 2008. "That will give me
plenty of time to heal up more. I dream about me walking again. I do
think I will be able to move my legs again in the next year."
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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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QUADRIPLEGIC MOM WALKS: After gymnastics move goes wrong, a remarkable recovery
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 On the front lawn of their Randolph home, Niles did a handstand, swung her legs over her head and collapsed on her face, landing hard on her stomach.
‘‘I’ve done hundreds of them, but something happened that day with my wrists - they gave out,’’ she recalled.
A burning sensation flashed the length of her body, from her neck to her toes. Everything felt numb; she couldn’t move her arms or legs. In an instant, the 40-year-old mother of two had been paralyzed from the chest down - an ‘‘incomplete’’ quadriplegic because she still had sensation and could move one toe and one of her arms ever so slightly.
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Ramp offers accessibility
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A ramp for someone in a wheelchair can be a lifeline to the world.
For Dylan Nobs, 30, of Hibbing, having a wheelchair ramp enabled him to go beyond the boundaries of his home.
“We were landlocked,” said Denise Nobs, Dylan’s mother and caretaker. “He was basically stuck out here on the deck or in the house for six weeks. We were just chomping at the bit to go places.”
The Nobs family, who are new to the area from Texas, wanted to explore the community. But without a ramp Dylan didn’t have easy access to the outside world.
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Virtual reality helps spinal cord patients gain confidence
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 Spinal injury patient Bob Jones may be paralyzed and in a wheelchair, but he won't sit still for long. He uses virtual reality technology to help him with his injury.
"This gives you an idea of what you're gonna' be running into on the outside of the building," Jones said. It's rehabilitation that looks more like a video game. "It's fun, but a little scary," Jones said.
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Monkey Helpers Lend a 'Helping Hand'
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 People who lost the use of their arms and legs face challenges the rest of us can hardly imagine. Some of them are unable to help themselves do most things. Now a unique program is offering a helping hand -- but patients have to be willing to except some monkey business. Ayla is a Capuchin monkey, the same monkeys organ grinders used. But now, instead of doing frivolous tricks, these monkeys are being taught to be the arms and legs of people who've lost the use of their own.
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The Oprah Winfrey Show - INDEPENDENCE iBOT Mobility System
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 The Oprah Winfrey Show on ABC will be airing a story about one of our INDEPENDENCE iBOT Mobility System owners. The story, featuring Jim MacLaren, winner of the prestigious Arthur Ashe Courage Award, will be broadcast on Thursday, September 29, 2005. Breaking news could postpone the telecast.
Oprah is broadcast on your local ABC affiliate. Please check your local listings for more information.
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Independence
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