Episode to unveil Orange County Choppers’ first-ever wheelchair-accessible motorcycle

SHORT HILLS, N.J., Dec. 29 /PRNewswire/ — The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation announced today that Paul Teutul Sr. and the crew from Orange County Choppers (OCC) have built a custom wheelchair-accessible motorcycle specifically to raise funds for the Reeve Foundation. A first of its kind, this trike bike allows someone living with paraplegia the opportunity to ride a motorcycle without having to transfer from their wheelchair.

The American Chopper episode featuring the Reeve Foundation/Life Rolls On bike is scheduled to air on TLC on Thursday, January 7 at 9PM ET/PT. 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 »

As an unemployed single mother with four children, Maria Rodriguez already has a tough life. But it’s been even tougher lately.

The old van Rodriguez relies on to transport her 15-year-old son, a quadriplegic, broke down — the transmission, the air bags, the motor for the ramp. Then the home she was renting was foreclosed, and she had to move. The security deposit for a new place in Escondido ate up her savings.

The events might have ruined her family’s Christmas. But help has arrived — from people who understand. Continue Reading »

David Estrada suffered a paralyzing spinal cord injury in a motorcycle accident. A Northeastern University student at the time, he went on to graduate from college, earn a law degree, and become executive director of the Spinal Cord Injury Association.

Now the foundation is being supported by his brothers-in-law, Scott and Gary Farber, the third generation of Farber family members to run Hunt’s Photo & Video, headquartered on the Malden/Melrose line. Continue Reading »

The XCell-Center is pleased to report treating its 2000th stem cell patient at its state-of-the-art clinic in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Dusseldorf, Germany (PRWEB) December 21, 2009 — The XCell-Center is pleased to report treating its 2000th stem cell patient at its state-of-the-art clinic in Dusseldorf, Germany. Continue Reading »

“Buckle up, or you could end up like me!” This is a warning from wheelchair-bound Ernest Sithole, who, together with 44 other members of the QuadPara Association of South Africa (Qasa), are stationed at eight garages on national roads to encourage motorists to fasten their seatbelts and avoid spinal injuries if they are involved in an accident. Continue Reading »

A description and demonstration of the Receive-All. Continue Reading »

He will complete the equivalent of a marathon every day – powered only by his arms.

When David Millar was paralysed in a rugby match 20 years ago, doctors told him he would need round-the-clock care for the rest of his life.

The Scotland Under-21 cap has proved them wrong and is now setting out to help others in their own journeys to rehabilitate after serious injury by embarking on an epic journey across New Zealand using a hand-cycle. Continue Reading »

A Dalhousie University professor and an international team of researchers have discovered what makes us kick.

Dr. Rob Brownstone, along with colleagues in New York and Scotland, discovered a group of nerve cells that are critical to regulating how much force muscles use when performing movements. Continue Reading »

Paralysis doesn’t stop former football athletes from raising money to make life a little easier for youngsters who suffer catastrophic spinal cord injuries

Only the start of a football game bothers Kenneth Jennings, who blows into a tube and turns his wheelchair away from the action. Once the kickoff’s over, his eyes are glued to the field.

It was while he was returning a kickoff for Simeon High as a lightning-quick junior in 1988 that he suffered a catastrophic spinal cord injury and lost all use of his extremities below the neck. Continue Reading »