An unfamiliar, unlit pool and a split-second decision to dive.
That tragic combination changed Chase Jones’ life forever.
The 28-year-old University of Georgia graduate broke three vertebrae in his neck, leaving him largely paralyzed from the shoulders down.
“This is something I’m still coming to terms with in some way every day,” said Jones, who worked as a governmental affairs officer for the Georgia Public Safety Training Center before his accident last August.
“Once upon a time, I could wake up and be ready to go to work in 30 minutes,” said Jones, who moved back into his parents’ ranch-style home in Carrollton, Ga. “Now it easily takes an hour and a half.” Continue Reading »
New treatments leverage “neuroplasticity,” the nervous system’s innate ability to repair itself
When Christopher Reeve became quadriplegic, there was little hope for patients with spinal cord injury. Now researchers are combining what they know about the central nervous system’s ability to rewire and regrow with a new understanding of the hidden smarts of the spinal cord to dramatically improve treatments.
Even the most devastating spinal cord injuries usually do not completely sever the link between the brain, spine and the rest of the body. Scientists are now finding ways to make the most of the remaining connections using a variety of technologies. Studies on electrical stimulation and locomotor training (a treatment that relies on human or robotic assistance during a walking exercise) suggest that it is possible to regrow damaged neuronal circuits in the brain and spine and recover some voluntary control. Some of these studies find that circuits in the spinal cord itself can be coaxed into helping the body move again. Continue Reading »
Published: December 13, 2012 | Category: FeaturedNews
Alan Brown had just wrapped up a fundraiser for his high school best friend, Danny Heumann, who had been paralyzed after he broke his back in a car accident.
“We were 18 years old, ready to live life,” said Brown, who became his friend’s caregiver, staying by his side at New York City’s Rusk Institute after the 1985 accident.
But just six weeks after he had helped raise $25,000 for his friend’s new foundation, Brown himself suffered a cruel twist of fate. He, too, was paralyzed after diving into the surf on a Club Med vacation in Martinique. It was Jan. 2, 1988, a bit more than two years after Heumann’s accident. Continue Reading »
Regimen of Epidural Spinal Cord Stimulation, Plus Extensive Locomotor Training, A Significant Breakthrough
A team of scientists at the University of Louisville, UCLA and the California Institute of Technology has achieved a significant breakthrough in its initial work with a paralyzed male volunteer at Louisville’s Frazier Rehab Institute. It is the result of 30 years of research to find potential clinical therapies for paralysis. Continue Reading »
A team of scientists from the University of Louisville and two California universities have used electrical stimulation and rehabilitation to help a paraplegic man stand and take steps with assistance — a breakthrough with implications for millions of paralyzed people around the world.
Rob Summers, a 25-year-old former college baseball player from Oregon, was paralyzed below the chest after a hit-and-run car accident in July 2006. Now, he can now push himself to a standing position and stand for up to four minutes on his own.
He can also make repeated stepping motions with help, and voluntarily move his toes, ankles, knees and hips.
His success is the subject of a study published Friday in the prestigious British medical journal The Lancet. Continue Reading »
In episode 2 we get recommendations from the chair manufacturers. Gold Pictures and The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation are proud to present The Power Wheelchair Comparison Web Series. Continue Reading »
Gold Pictures and The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation are proud to announce the premiere of The Power Wheelchair Comparison Web Series. Continue Reading »
Families of two paralyzed Bay State teens are calling on insurance companies to step up and fund the life-altering therapy that they say has given their sons new hope, but is painfully out of grasp for so many other families.
“It is a shame that insurance doesn’t cover it,” said Michael Brown, who uses donations from the community to pay the $100-an-hour bill for his son, paralyzed Norwood hockey player Matt Brown, to get therapy at Journey Forward, a Canton rehabilitation center. Continue Reading »
Published: October 7, 2010 | Category: Information
Apps designed for SmartPhones (Blackberry, Iphone, Android) and IPads can help increase independence and improve the quality of life for people who have limited mobility from paralysis. These apps can be powerful tools for people living with a spinal cord injury or using a wheelchair due to another injury or disease. The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation have created the Guide to the Best Apps for People Living with Paralysis to help people find those apps that will most enhance their lives. Continue Reading »
Christina Symanski’s opinion on the iPad app Zosh. Finally, take those emailed forms, fill them in and sign them all from your iPad. Continue Reading »
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An unfamiliar, unlit pool and a split-second decision to dive.
New treatments leverage “neuroplasticity,” the nervous system’s innate ability to repair itself
Alan Brown had just wrapped up a fundraiser for his high school best friend, Danny Heumann, who had been paralyzed after he broke his back in a car accident.
A team of scientists from the University of Louisville and two California universities have used electrical stimulation and rehabilitation to help a paraplegic man stand and take steps with assistance — a breakthrough with implications for millions of paralyzed people around the world.
Families of two paralyzed Bay State teens are calling on insurance companies to step up and fund the life-altering therapy that they say has given their sons new hope, but is painfully out of grasp for so many other families.