Wheelchair Recycler gives people mobility back

Getting Camy Stark to Bible class used to be difficult for her parents, Josh and Lori. The 5-year-old from Moore, Okla., has caudal regression syndrome, a disease with symptoms similar to spina bifida, and it made traversing the church parking lot a challenge.

“We walked along with her until she got completely tired, until she wanted you to carry her,” Josh Stark says.

Now Camy zips up and down her driveway to grab the mail and has no problem getting around parking lots, thanks to her new power wheelchair. It came courtesy of David Heim, better known as the Wheelchair Recycler. Continue Reading »

Flying Against the Odds

In 2004, a skydiving accident left Jim Carlaccini with a T-12 complete spinal cord injury. Always having an interest for aviation since a young age, he didn’t let the accident stop him from getting back into the air.

“Aviation is my passion,” says Carlaccini, age 55. “I refer to it more as a passion than a hobby.” Having received his pilot’s license in 1989, Carlaccini began skydiving in 1995.

After his accident, he purchased a weight-shift control aircraft, also referred to as a “trike.” “It maneuvers by shifting your weight,” explains Carlaccini. “You don’t need to use your feet to operate it.” Continue Reading »

Life changing, not life ending

It’s quiet under the water. The roar of the rapids muted.

But Peter Chisholm’s heart raced as he fought to grab the loops of his spray skirt.

This time it was different. This was not like the thousands of times he’d rolled in his kayak while navigating a rushing river.

In less time than it takes to dip a paddle in the water, Peter was upside down, the river hurling him on a life-changing ride. Continue Reading »

Spinal Cord Injuries – Is there Hope?

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 »

Girl seeks stem cell treatment to regain mobility

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 »

Quadriplegics Can Operate Powered Wheelchair With Tongue Drive System

An assistive technology that enables individuals to maneuver a powered wheelchair or control a mouse cursor using simple tongue movements can be operated by individuals with high-level spinal cord injuries, according to the results of a recently completed clinical trial.

“This clinical trial has validated that the Tongue Drive system is intuitive and quite simple for individuals with high-level spinal cord injuries to use,” said Maysam Ghovanloo, an assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. “Trial participants were able to easily remember and correctly issue tongue commands to play computer games and drive a powered wheelchair around an obstacle course with very little prior training.” Continue Reading »

Soon, wheelchairs controlled by tongues

WASHINGTON – Scientists have developed a novel headset that makes it possible for a person suffering from spinal cord injury to precisely control a wheelchair or computer using the tongue.

The “tongue drive”, being trialled at Georgia Tech University, Atlanta, could also give astronauts a third hand in difficult situations like spacewalks. Continue Reading »

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RERC on Wheelchair Transportation Safety

RERC on Wheelchair Transportation Safety, University of Pittsburgh. Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Wheelchair Transportation Safety

The Games Come to Scotland This Summer

The FES Sport Day will bring competitors and visitors from across the world to Scotland to compete in various FES Sport events and to experience the latest research and development into FES technology. FES or Functional Electrical Stimulation is the technology that allows spinal cord injured individuals to independently exercise when previously their injury served as permanent obstacle to this.

Dr Derek Jones of Anatomical Concepts (UK) Ltd said: “The FES technology combined with motorised indoor and outdoor cycles or a rowing machine has been proven to offer new possibilities for spinal cord injured persons to make significant improvements to their general health, develop their cardiovascular fitness, build bone strength, and enjoy an athletic challenge. Continue Reading »