Client Bios

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.