Client Name: Bob G.
Hometown: Lake Hiawatha, NJ
Injury Date: 3/18/2002
Injury Level: T12/L3
Start Date: 6/11/07

    Bob is a friendly individual who has always loved staying active, and his story is a little more unusual than most. Bob sustained his T12/L3 spinal cord injury in 2002, when he was attacked in a parking lot. His attacker stabbed him directly into his spinal cord in his lower back. When Bob was being treated in the hospital, his doctor thought he would not survive. Despite the doubt, a year after the injury Bob was back at Prudential and working, thanks to the support of his family and friends.

    Bob decided that he wanted to use his experience to benefit others, so he became a mentor at Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation to offer peer counseling for newly injured people. In addition to counseling, he also uses exercise, attending parties, yard work, bike riding, watching sports and socializing to keep busy. He even got a beach wheelchair so he can continue to enjoy the beach and water when he goes on vacations.

    Bob comes to Push to Walk once a week for an hour and a half session. During his session his workout includes stretching, floor exercises, treadmill training, and weight bearing exercise such as using the Total Gym. He also uses the SCI-FIT machine, which is an arm bike. Since starting at Push to Walk, Bob’s stretching has improved, he can stand straighter, and can walk better and farther than when he was first injured.

    Recently, Bob tried quad rugby for the first time. He says that if he is not trying or doing something new it is only because he does not want to, it is never because his injury is holding him back. Bob believes what has helped him the most mentally during his recovery is performing tasks he had done before his injury, such as mowing the lawn and doing yard work.

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Client Name: Christan Z.
Hometown: Port Chester, NY
Injury Date: 7/7/1993
Injury Level: C6-7
Start Date: 4/15/07

    Christan was 10 years old and a huge tomboy. She loved playing all kinds of sports and was always outside. However, she sustained a spinal cord injury in a diving accident, and she felt like she instantly became an adult. She never got to finish the rest of her childhood. Being so young at the time of her injury, Christan had a lot of support. At the time, she didn’t realize the severity of her injury and what it would mean for the future.

    A best friend from the day they met has always believed that Christan would walk again, and still believes it to this day. Christan believes she’s where she is today partly because of that friend and her own persistence. Her family and friends have provided the backbone to keep her strong. She is grateful for the support they provide to her every single day. Without them, she wouldn’t be able to do what she does, have what she has or be as strong. Combined with her spirituality and belief in the power of prayer, Christan is guided by many powerful forces.

    Christan attended Iona College for both her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Public Relations. She enjoys working out and learning about health and nutrition. She’s very active, goes out and does lots of things with her friends, swims, goes to the beach and loves to read. She is currently taking driving lessons and hopes to be driving soon. Christan recently moved into a new house with her family that is 100% accessible.

    Push to Walk trainers work with Christan on standing, hands/knees, core strength and balance. She enjoys using all the different machines at the gym, and feels that she has made tremendous progress in standing, balance and body awareness. Christan recently completed 60 sessions at the Neuro Recovery Network program at Kessler Institute in West Orange, NJ. She wishes that the study protocol was available to all people with spinal cord injuries, not just a select few.

     Being at Push to Walk with other people in similar situations has helped Christan realize that there is definitely a lot more out there to do. She enjoys the social activities and camaraderie that the gym offers to all those who work out there.

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Client Name: Darren T.
Hometown: Kinnelon, NJ
Injury Date: 7/23/2004
Injury Level: C5
Start Date: 1/15/07

    Darren graduated from Kinnelon High School in June, 2004 and was headed to Bentley College in Massachusetts to study finance. The summer was going to very busy working to save some money and getting ready for the move to college. Instead, one month later, Darren was airlifted to Atlantic City Medical Center after diving into shallow water and breaking his neck at C5. All plans, big and small, were on hold. Darren and his family were brutally thrust into the world of spinal cord injuries.

    Within 24 hours of his arrival at Atlantic City Medical Center, Darren was transferred to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia where he underwent surgery the next day. After 10 days in Philadelphia he was then transferred to Shepherd Center in Atlanta, where he began the grueling task of rehabilitation. After completing almost 3 months as an in-patient and an additional 3 weeks as out-patient in their Day Program, Darren returned home to Kinnelon.

    Life would not be the same, but with the support of family and friends, Darren maintained a positive attitude. With the addition of a new bedroom and bathroom and other modifications, the house he grew up in was now accessible for him and his wheelchair. His friends rallied around him, including him in everything they were doing. The chair never seemed to get in the way with them; they just did whatever needed to be done so Darren could do whatever they were doing. Coaching youth hockey kept him involved in a sport he loved, and poker games became a routine activity!

    Sports and working out were always important to Darren. He began playing ice hockey and ski racing from a very young age. He continued those sports as well as tennis through high school. When he finished out-patient rehab, he looked for and found a personal trainer. This led to visiting Project Walk in California and the eventual foundation of Push to Walk.

     Darren started driving one year after his injury and commuted to Ramapo College his freshman year. Having learned to successfully navigate his way around campus, Darren decided to move to school and lived there the next three years. He graduated in May 2009 and currently attends Rutgers University in Newark, NJ in the MBA program. School is very important to Darren and he enjoys being involved in the MBA clubs and activities.

     Continuing his love for sports, Darren joined a rugby team, formerly the Jets, now the Warriors. He has also been skydiving twice since his injury, has tried adaptive skiing and uses a hand cycle; all in addition to his weekly workouts at Push to Walk.

     Being independent and able to take care of himself have always been important to Darren since his injury. The therapists at Shepherd set him on that path, and that has been his motivation ever since. Every small achievement makes him want to try and do something better. Accomplishing tasks like getting in and out of bed by himself, or taking care of his personal needs were among his first goals upon returning home. Accomplishing these things motivate him further because these are things he was told he would not be able to do.

     Regular workouts have kept Darren healthy and strong. He feels that he has made good progress and easily feels the difference when he hasn’t worked out in awhile. He enjoys the camaraderie between the clients and trainers at Push to Walk and is involved with organizing sports and social events for those who want to participate. He knows that the more he does, the more he’ll be able to do. He is able to stay motivated and positive with the support of his trainers, family and friends.

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Client Name: Kelly C.
Hometown: South Hackensack, NJ
Injury Date: 6/18/2006
Injury Level: C6
Start Date: 4/3/2008

    Kelly Chinchar is a self proclaimed “go with the flow” kind of girl. She takes what is thrown at her, and tries to live her life as fully as possible. In the summer of 2006, Kelly had just completed her freshman year of college at Rutgers University. During her first year at school, she was a member of the club field hockey team. Although she had not declared her major, Kelly knew she wanted to teach. However, that summer, she obtained a C6 level injury at age nineteen after diving into an above ground pool.

    She spent about three months at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation after her injury, followed by out-patient physical and occupational therapy. However, due to her poor blood pressure, she wasn’t permitted to stand. Kelly knew that she wanted more than what she was being offered, and that’s when she turned to Push to Walk. She is now capable of standing at a bar and balancing on her own. In addition, her posture has been greatly improved. Her workouts include pretty much everything the program has to offer, especially stretching because of the tightness in her legs.

   Push to Walk has not only been helpful to Kelly physically, but emotionally as well. She explains that every day here is an experience—mainly because everyone is so helpful and light-hearted. Since joining, Kelly has started taking lessons to learn how to drive a modified vehicle and has decided that she would like to transfer to Ramapo College once she can drive. She is also working part time and enjoys participating in Push to Walk’s social activities and spending time with trainers and other clients outside of the gym.

    Kelly continues to keep a positive attitude and look for inspiration wherever she can find it. To date, one of the most influential people in her life is a man she met while in rehab. He lost both of his legs due to meningitis and had twelve children. She realized that he was worse off than she was, but was still a very happy man. She continues to keep in touch with him today!

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Client Name: Lori D.
Hometown: Riverdale, NJ
Injury Date: 2/28/2001
Injury Level: T11
Start Date: 12/28/07

    Lori grew up in Bloomfield, NJ and graduated from the University of Central Florida in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communication Disorders. While Lori was attending graduate school for Speech Language Pathology at William Paterson University, she became paralyzed at T-11 from Lyme disease. She was 24 years old.

    After hospitalizations and rehab, Lori continued her education and received her graduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology in 2003. She married her husband Dan in 2007 at a ceremony in the Bahamas. Currently, she is employed by the Little Falls Board of Education as a Speech-Language Pathologist, working primarily with children who have autism in grades kindergarten through fourth grade.

    Lori works hard at rehab, but she appreciates that successful workouts often incorporate a sense of humor. She has worked with many different trainers and therapists over the years, and feels now that she has more energy and is healthier and stronger as a result of her workouts at Push to Walk. Her immediate and extended family members have provided Lori with an incredible amount of support, especially her husband! She says that “words of thanks are not enough for all those who have helped me on this journey.” They have been her light, hope and strength. God and prayer have also helped her.

    Appreciating the small and new things in life every single day has helped Lori accept the fact that she uses a wheelchair. She does not see herself as a handicapped person, but a person who uses a wheelchair. She says she is “handiCAPABLE!” She doesn’t take a day for granted and doesn’t look at things as can’t and how.

    Lori did want to drive, but did not want to drive a van. After completing her driving lessons at Kessler, she traveled to Toronto, Canada to have her Volkwagen Jetta modified for her wheelchair. A robotic arm is installed in the truck and helps get the wheelchair to and from the driver’s side door so Lori can transfer into and out of the car. The automated system has enabled Lori to be completely independent while traveling to and from her destinations. She likes to go shopping and out with friends in her free time.

    Push to Walk workouts include all the basic components (active range of motion, Total Gym, standing, etc) plus Lori uses the FES bike, standing frame and hand bike. She exercises on her own as well, and learned to swim with the help of a physical therapist who specializes in aqua therapy. Lori also participated in a bone density study at KMRREC (Kessler Medical Rehabilitation Research and Education Corporation part of Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, West Orange, NJ).

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Client Name: Luigi G.
Hometown: Rye, NY
Injury Date: 1/5/2008
Injury Level: C4-5
Start Date: 11/11/08

    Before Luigi’s skiing accident in January 2008, he was busy as a jewelry broker, traveling to Italy and bringing back pieces for his clients to see. He was involved in many sports, including cycling, golf and scuba in addition to skiing.

    Now, his free time is spent on exercising and working out, hoping for more recovery. He has seen improvements, but they are slight. Luigi knows making gains will take a long time, but he is doing what he can. His wife and three children, ages 14, 12 and 3, are his support system and keep him focused on what’s important. He’s still working in the jewelry field, but has fewer accounts and travels less than he did before his injury. Although he’s not driving now, he hopes to do so in the future. Perhaps when the lease runs out on his current car, he’ll buy a van that can be modified for him to drive.

    Luigi’s workouts at Push to Walk have given him more stability, balance and upper body strength. He’d like to learn to swim so he can add that to his routine. He participated in a Robotics study at Burke Rehab Hospital in White Plains, NY with the occupational therapy department.

    Even though working and exercising are his main priorities, Luigi enjoys going to restaurants and the movies and traveling into New York City.

    Recently, Luigi spent three weeks in Badharing, Austria where he spent three hours a day doing physical and occupational therapy.

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Client Name: Matt S.
Hometown: Crosswicks, NJ
Injury Date: 9/12/2008
Injury Level: T4/5
Start Date: 2/16/2009

     Matt is different than most people, he loves creamed spinach and the instrument he plays best is the didgeridoo (of Australian origin). Before his injury he was surfing everyday, replenishing beaches and living at Stockton University, where he was majoring in Environmental Science.

   His T4/5 injury was sustained by diving into the bay in September of 2008, and since then he’s had many frustrations. Most people might discuss their feelings about life after spinal cord injury, but Matt’s play out in his dreams. One of his most recent dreams included a walrus who had trouble getting into a house, so Matt kindly invited him over to his house where he could use a ramp. Matt thinks that maybe the deeper meaning behind the dream is his own accessibility issues.

    Although Matt does not accept his injury, he works hard towards overcoming these frustrations and accessibility issues by coming to Push to Walk. Matt works out at Push to Walk once a week, in addition to working with a trainer on his own time. During his workout Matt has the opportunity to stretch & work on reactivating his central nervous system, and perform active weight bearing exercises on the Total Gym, standing bar and Power Plate. He also works out on the mats for his core, balance and trunk strength. Since coming here his posture has improved, and he hopes to see even more results in the coming months.

    Recently, Matt had the chance to get back to surfing a little with They Will Surf Again: Life Rolls On. Despite it being a difficult day emotionally for him, he eventually got in the water and surfed for the first time since September 2008.

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Client Name: Richard T.
Hometown: Stamford, CT
Injury Date: 8/13/2005
Injury Level: C4-5-6
Start Date: 3/8/2008

     At the age of 24, Richard T. had a house in Jersey City, a job in New York, a girlfriend of six years and a beach home. Some might say he was “living the life.” However, that August, Richard sustained a spinal cord injury due to a surfing accident. At the time, he believed that his condition was temporary. It wasn’t until after he had two or three surgeries, a tube in his neck, and an assortment of people making decisions for him that he realized his injury might be permanent. Richard endured months of treatment after his accident. He spent time in Jersey Medical Center’s ICU, Outlook Hospital, and Kessler Institute of Rehabilitation. So what is Richard’s life like today, four years after his spinal cord injury?

    Today, Richard is married to the woman he was dating before his accident, manages a hedge fund and still goes to the beach. He does just about everything he did before his injury, just not as quickly. He is an extremely hardworking and motivated individual —admitting to working 100 hour weeks. Just recently, he had a house built to accommodate his new lifestyle.

    Since joining Push to Walk, Richard has definitely seen improvement. He travels from Connecticut once a week to workout with Eric, one of the three trainers on staff. Thanks to Eric, and Richard’s own motivation, he was able to stand at his wedding! His sessions consist of working out with the standing bar, the Keiser Performance Trainer, and working on the mat. His standing was steadily improving until he recently took two weeks off. Richard’s goal last summer was to stand with a walker with the help of aides and he continues to set goals for himself. He explains that his family and friends are the most motivating people in his life and are the driving force behind his goal to recovery. Richard remains an optimistic person. Although he admits to feeling angry every day, asking the obvious question: “Why me?” he still has hope that he will one day get better. He believes in a hoping mechanism—remarking that you just have to move forward, and try not to let your injury change your life too much.

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