Eric LeGrand took the stage Wednesday in front of an audience of 70 people at the Busch Campus Center to present his outlook for the future, reflecting the event’s theme of “Don’t Stop Believing.”

Dr. Wise Young, his physical therapist and mentor, held the microphone for LeGrand as he recalled his injury during the Oct. 16, 2010 Scarlet Knights football game against Army’s Black Knights in the Meadowlands Stadium. Continue Reading »

Meet Christopher Hills – a young boy who uses Apple products to edit videos. Christopher has Cerebral Palsy, which essentially makes it impossible for him to use a traditional computer setup. Continue Reading »

The AbleGamers Foundation’s Mark Barlet is the winner of the 2012 Paul G. Hearne Award from AAPD. This is the video that was shown at the awards dinner. Continue Reading »

You’ve heard of guide dogs and therapy horses, but have you heard of monkey helpers?

“I didn’t have much of a life before Sophie,” says wheelchair-bound Judy. Sophie is a capuchin monkey trained at Helping Hands Monkey Helpers for the Disabled in Boston. “When I come into the room, she makes a fuss over me, and I love that. How have I lived so long without a monkey?” says Judy. “Sophie changed my life.”

Helping Hands has been providing capuchin monkey helpers to quadriplegics and others with severe mobility issues due to injury or illness for more than 30 years. Helping Hands is the only organization in the world that raises and trains monkeys to be human companions. The monkeys provide daily in-home assistance to their wheelchair bound recipients and help them lead independent lives. They also give hope through their companionship. Continue Reading »

Tek RMD is not an alternative to wheelchairs, it is a totally new concept, a new platform. Continue Reading »

Dr. W. Dalton Dietrich, scientific director of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, was in Washington this week seeking U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to start a clinical safety trial of a remarkable new therapy for those suffering from brain and spinal cord injuries.

The Miami Project was co-founded 26 years ago by neurosurgeon Barth Green and Hall of Fame middle linebacker Nick Buoniconti, who led the 1972 Miami Dolphins’ legendary No Name Defense — the only NFL team to win the Super Bowl after a perfect season.

In 1985, Buoniconti’s son, then a 19-year-old sophomore at the Citadel, severed his spinal cord during a college football game. Now 44 and president of the Miami Project, Marc Buoniconti is a quadriplegic who uses a motorized, breath-operated wheelchair to get around. Continue Reading »

When blades scrape across a pristine sheet of ice in the women’s Frozen Four this weekend, it will be the realization of many players’ dreams. But for one former hockey All-American, it’s a reminder of a world she’s missing. A world she works every day to be a part of again.

Sept. 12, 2010 was a busy day for 25-year-old Kristen Cameron. As an assistant ice hockey coach for Mercyhurst College pursuing a master’s in organizational leadership, she had a lot on her plate.

Still settling into her new apartment near the rink, Cameron went out to purchase groceries and two corner tables. She then spent the afternoon hanging things in her living room — a Bob Marley poster here, a hockey stick there — before deciding to use the last hour or so of daylight to go for a bike ride.

The new route she discovered was perfect for triathlon training. Fresh pavement. Flat as could be. Huge shoulder. With sweat dampening the hair under her helmet, she felt energized with every pump of the pedal.

“In my mind I remember being like, ‘I probably should turn around now.’ But I kept going. And then I don’t remember anything until I woke up in the hospital.” Continue Reading »

A new study suggests that administering FTY720, an oral drug that has shown promise in trials for human multiple sclerosis, significantly improves locomotor recovery in mice with spinal cord injury (SCI). The research suggests a possible new avenue to counteract the degeneration of the spinal cord in human SCI. The study will be published in the April 2012 issue of The American Journal of Pathology.

Beyond the initial tissue damage, much of the degradation of the spinal cord in SCI is due to a cascade of secondary injuries, including neuronal and glial apoptosis, inflammation, glial scar formation, local edema and ischemia, and oxidative stress. The aim of current SCI treatment is to counteract the mechanisms of secondary injury and prevent their pathological consequences, because central nervous system (CNS) neurons have very limited capacity to self-repair and regenerate. Continue Reading »

Using a stand-up wheelchair that allowed him to build, calibrate, and tune at the highest places of this tall symphonic instrument, George Flores created a one-of-a-kind 47-string harp called The Healing Harp.

“I thought about the fact that harps are known around the world as being a healing instrument. I thought this would be a great opportunity to bring that same healing power to the world and all people with disabilities, including people with spinal cord injuries and disorders,” said Flores, who was paralyzed is a motorcycle accident in 2004.

The custom-built Venus Aria model Grand Concert Harp has a natural finish with hand painted soundboard, handpicked special veneers, and a new technology no other harp in the world has, which strengthens the overall structure and enhances the acoustic properties of the wood. Continue Reading »

Electric underwear might sound like a provocative burlesque act, but a Canadian team of researchers have created a pair of pants that deliver a mild electrical current to the wearer’s backside every 10 minutes in order to prevent bedsores. Continue Reading »