Wheel to Walk Canada got a big boost earlier this month, in the form of a $2,500 donation from TD Canada Trust. The funds will support Dr. Rathbone’s Neuroscience Research Fund at McMaster University.

“We are very grateful for the support we have received from TD Canada Trust,” said Jo-Ann Cino, chair of Wheel to Walk Canada. “This gift will fund local research focused on curing neurological diseases and disorders such as spinal cord injuries, stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and diabetes. Continue Reading »

Turning tragic events into opportunities for others

There are many flashing lights in our lives – when we see “green” we speed right on through life not even aware of what the next day or move could bring. As we cruise through the green light not realizing that sometimes others who have the red light do not halt and come to a standstill – they are in a hurry to “beat” the light and then our lives collide.

There are flashing yellow lights which warn – and instruct – they mean “caution” or “look out” – proceed with care. And then that ever nuisance, the red light, which makes us have to stop dead in our tracks when we want to be moving forward. Continue Reading »

DAVIE, Fla. (AP) -The phone is ringing in Darrell Gwynn’s office, which is filled with reminders of a life that nearly ended two decades ago. From his windows, he sees cars being built and fiddled with in the garage, where stacks of racing tires are piled almost to the roof.

The former champion drag racer maneuvers his wheelchair toward the phone. With his right hand – his only hand – he pushes a button to lift the receiver an inch from the cradle. His wife is on the other end, they chat about lunch for a couple minutes, he presses the button again and the phone hangs up.

“Sorry,” Gwynn says, directing his chair away from the desk. “Important stuff.” Continue Reading »

A 17-year-old girl who suffered a spinal cord injury after being involved in an accident at an open-air disco in Qawra is hoping to undergo an experimental stem cell treatment through which she might regain the ability to walk.

Vladyslava Kravchenko, a Ukrainian national who immigrated to Malta with her mother at age 9, suffered head and spinal cord injuries on September 14, 2008, after lighting equipment set up at the open-air disco collapsed. The collapse also caused slight injuries to 7 other people. Continue Reading »

Device Helps Patients Breathe After Spinal Cord Injuries Continue Reading »

Are you a cancer survivor who had limitations in activities of daily living prior to your cancer?

If you have completed active treatment for your cancer, you are invited to participate in a study to help understand how cancer survivors who had a functional limitation or disability before being diagnosed with cancer take care of their health. Continue Reading »

New Therapy Helped Janne Kouri Walk Again, Inspired Him to Help Others

On August 5, 2006, Janne Kouri dove into the ocean off California and crashed his head into a hidden sandbar. He knew immediately his life would never be the same.

“Instantly I could tell I was paralyzed,” said Kouri, then 31, of Hermosa Beach, Calif. “I was just floating in the water and I got flipped over on my back and there were waves crashing over me so I knew something bad had happened, because I could not move my body at all so I just took a deep breath and basically hoped for the best. I thought, ‘this could be it.’” Continue Reading »