Daily Dose

After accident, high-flier is one of a kind

j_lo — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:55:00 GMT

At 35, Michael Glen isn't letting the fact that he is living with paralysis from a car accident at the age of 21, keep him from soaring through the skies. And you can see Glen, also a Reeve Foundation Ambassador, in the skies this weekend at the Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning. Before taking flight in a typical hot air balloon, the pilot usually climbs into the basket. Michael Glen lies down. That’s because Glen, 35, is paralyzed below the waist.“I can do anything anybody else can...(read more)

Who do you think is the Best Dad on Wheels?

j_lo — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:32:00 GMT

We've started getting some really great entries for our 2010 Best Dad on Wheels contest. We love to read the uplifting stories and see the pictures of dads that are truly amazing. There so many great dads out there and we want to hear about all of them! (Reeve Foundation Ambassador, Scott Chesney, pictured with his daughter.)Click here if you think a dad you know should be crowned the 2010 Best Dad on Wheels.Tell us in 200 words why the father you nominate should win. Let us know all the ways he...(read more)

Have you signed up to be part of a wheelchair world record, yet?

j_lo — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:11:00 GMT

We are approaching the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Don't let this day come and go. Be a part of history. Honor what the ADA has done in the past 20 years, and what it will do in the next 20 years to come. Join the Reeve Foundation in LA on July 25 to commemorate the anniversary. Click here to sign up now!Be there as the Reeve Foundation celebrates by breaking a Guinness World Record by having the the most wheelchairs in a moving line.Happy anniversary to the ADA!Janelle Like...(read more)

ADA at 20

j_lo — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:49:00 GMT

We are just 10 days away from the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. So what does 20 years of the ADA mean?“Let the shameful wall of exclusion finally come tumbling down.” Thus spoke President George H. W. Bush at the White House signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, July 26, 1990. For people with disabilities, that wall -- symbolically and literally -- has come down. It hasn’t entirely disappeared but the ADA, reversing the centuries long history of “out of sight,...(read more)

Siblings take on Team Reeve

j_lo — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 15:37:00 GMT

Many of our Team Reeve participants are inspired by a friend or family member who is living with a spinal cord injury. This brother and sister pair out of New York are no exception. For the better part of the last seven months, nearly every day has started the same way for Kevin and Lindsay Morgan. At 4 a.m., the Morgans would will themselves out of their respective beds. Then came the foray through the front door, leading to another encounter with a pitch-black morning in upstate New York. Runs...(read more)

What's life on wheels like?

j_lo — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 14:53:00 GMT

We've written before about a program out of Canada, Rick Hansen Wheels in Motion, that challenges able-bodied individuals to understand day-to-day tasks of a wheelchair user.Recently, the organization held an awareness and obstacle relay to show the challenges wheelchair users face on an every day basis. Five teams competed in Tuesday's relay that had people race through an obstacle course while in a wheelchair. But that's not all they had to do. While wearing oven mittens, competitors had to do...(read more)

Utah Chapter Keeps on Rollin'

j_lo — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:15:00 GMT

The Utah Chapter of the Reeve Foundation is hosting an event this Saturday, July 17 at Brighton Ski Resort. The Keep on Rollin' charity car and bike show is expecting to showcase over 300 classic cars and motorcycles.The event is being organized by the Utah Chapter of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. Steering Committee member Ryan Stevenson is president of this year's event. Ryan suffered a spinal cord injury in a snowboarding accident three years ago that left him paralyzed. Ryan's love...(read more)

Christopher Reeve on the ADA

j_lo — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:07:00 GMT

I was recently finishing Christopher Reeve's book, Still Me. At the end, some of his speeches are listed, including one from the Democratic National Convention on August 26, 1996.He said these powerful words about the Americans with Disabilities Act:“First of all our nation can not tolerate discrimination of any kind. That’s why the Americans with Disabilities Act is so important and must be honored everywhere. It is a civil rights law that is tearing down barriers both in architecture and in attitude....(read more)

Life Rolls On surfs in Virginia

j_lo — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:43:00 GMT

Twenty-seven surfers came out to enjoy sunny skies and great waves on Saturday, June 26th in Virginia Beach, VA. Among them was 37 year-old Brendon Cunnginham, a quadriplegic from Bristow, VA, who sustained a spinal cord injury four years ago. “This event was the highlight of my summer,” said Cunningham. “I never thought I would enjoy surfing again, especially with my limited movement. This gave my kids a chance to see that their dad can still do the unthinkable.” They Will Surf Again would...(read more)

Video news: Clothes for the seated, skate boarding, and more

gerthro — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:45:00 GMT

This edition of our video newsletter is about summer safety. The Foundation's Paralysis Population survey revealed that of the over 1.2 million people living with spinal cord injuries, 16% were injured through a sporting or recreational accident. Our information specialists do not look forward to the summer season. Sadly, our telephone (800-539-7309 Mon.-Fri., 9 am to 6 pm ET) rings way too often with someone looking for our assistance with a new injury. With that in mind, we have put together...(read more)

Setting a wheelchair record in Los Angeles

gerthro — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:31:00 GMT

Less than two weeks to go! Sign up now. If you are not in the LA area, let someone out that way know what we are up to.If you haven't heard, here is what we are up to:The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by setting the Guinness World Record for the most wheelchairs in a moving line! Help us set a Guinness World Record! Anyone in a wheelchair is welcome to participate in breaking the record....(read more)

Moses Chao named president-elect of the Society for Neuroscience

gerthro — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:24:00 GMT

Moses V. Chao, PhD (pictured), former chairman of the Reeve Foundation's Science Advisory Council (SAC), has been named president-elect of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN); his term will begin at the Society's annual meeting next November in San Diego. Former SAC chairman Fred H. Gage, PhD also served as SfN president (2001-02) as did Lorne M. Mendell, PhD (1997-98), a Principal Investigator in the Foundation's International Research Consortium and Albert J. Aguayo, MD (1987-88), a Consortium...(read more)

Uncle inspires brother and sister team

gerthro — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 14:32:00 GMT

As a Communications Intern at the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, I got the honor of writing about Team Reeve All Star members Lindsay and Kevin Morgan, who will participate in the Musselman Half-Iron Triathlon in Geneva, New York this weekend, for my first assignment. After listening to their heartfelt accounts of how their paralyzed uncle, Robert Morgan, has positively impacted their lives, I was left in awe. Their immense efforts and optimistic attitude have inspired me to appreciate...(read more)

Help us set a Guinness world record!

gerthro — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:49:00 GMT

Sunday, July 25 the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by setting the Guinness World Record for the most wheelchairs in a moving line! Anyone in a wheelchair is welcome to participate in breaking the record. The event is free and open to the public. We hope you, your friends and family can join us in LA! All participants must register for the event. Dodger Stadium 1000 Elysian Park Ave.Los...(read more)

Road show travels on to Boston

j_lo — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 13:45:00 GMT

The Reeve Foundation has been all over the country the past few months spreading the word in communities about Reeve Foundation initiatives. The Road Shows, sponsored by 180 Medical, allow the communities to learn about everything from Quality of Life programs we support to progress in spinal cord research.Coming up on Thursday, July 15, the Reeve Foundation will be in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Road Show will include presentations by: - President and CEO of the Reeve Foundation, Peter T....(read more)