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Simplifying life with a spinal cord injury |
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Simplifying life with a spinal cord injury |
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Disclaimer: This page contains observations and information from the personal experiences of Josh Basile. It is not intended as a substitute for the guidance and advice of trained medical professionals. Determined2Heal recommends that you always seek out guidance from healthcare professionals before partaking in any treatment. |
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Role Models In 50 years from now when I'm a grandfather and I'm sitting around with my grandchildren telling them stories, it would be impossible not to mention Christopher Reeve. He will always be the face of the SCI world. Without Chris's efforts and dedication to the spinal cord community, we would be far behind where we are today. Chris made incredible advancements in the field of science, rehabilitation, and quality-of-life. Chris passed away while I was still an inpatient two months after my injury. Even though I never was able to meet him, his legacy has inspired me to follow in his footsteps and "Go Forward." About six months after my injury, I had the pleasure of meeting Dana Reeve. Her positive spirit will live in me forever. Dr. John McDonald was the first doctor to give me any kind of hope after my injury. I was fortunate to meet him at the same meeting that I met all the amazing people from the CRPF (Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation) and Brooke Ellison. When I met Dr. McDonald, he squatted down to my eye level so he could look directly at me. I was new to a wheelchair and was used to talking to people’s chests, so I really appreciated him looking me in the eye when he talked to me. He grabbed my limp hand and began moving it around in his hands and examining it. He told me that there was no reason that I would not gain function in my wrists. He was just opening the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, and invited me to be one of the first patients. Dr. McDonald was Christopher Reeve’s neurologist, and through his work with Reeve, he developed Restorative Therapy. The focus of this work is to “optimize the body’s ability for self-repair". Restorative Therapy is based on the concept that the nervous system requires an optimal level of patterned activity in order to simply maintain itself as well as to maximize response of regeneration after injury. He offers hope to patients with spinal cord injuries. Since I’ve been in Dr. McDonald’s care I have not experienced any of the medical complications that are so common to people with spinal cord injuries. I am very impressed with the people he has working for him, and the research he is doing. Dr. Christina Sadowsky is one of the most amazing doctors I've ever met. She is what keeps the Kennedy Krieger Institute beating. I've never met a patient that has not fell in love with her. Because of quality people like Dr. Sadowsky, Kennedy Krieger holds a special place in my heart. I was lucky enough to meet Brooke Ellison soon after my injury. Christopher Reeve made a movie about Brooke’s life which I watched while I was feeling pretty hopeless in the hospital. Her story really made an impact on me. When Brooke was injured at age 11, she realized that although she did not have the use of her body, she did have the use of her mind. She returned to school and set her goals very high. She graduated from Harvard University with a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government. She is now pursuing a PhD. At Stony Brook University in political psychology, and in 2006 nearly emerged as a Senator for the State Senate of New York. Brooke was very warm and upbeat when I met her. Her parents were incredible. I was so impressed with how well they cared for Brooke without making her feel like a burden. They are a great support system for her and have helped her reach her dreams.
The first phone call I received after enrolling into the Restorative Therapy program at the Kennedy Krieger Institute was from Pat. He called me up and told me that he worked for Kennedy Krieger and was calling to talk to me about the program and to learn more about me. After talking briefly about my story, I asked him to tell me how he got involved with Kennedy Krieger. He went on to talk about his story (click here to learn more about Pat's amazing story) which at first was overwhelming. Pat's story begins with a four level spinal cord injury leaving him completely paralyzed from the shoulders down. That is just the beginning of his story which continues with him becoming the first known person to fully recover from a severe spinal cord injury. This was exactly what I needed to hear at that point in my life. My motivation level was at an all-time high and I was focused to start the program at KKI. Since talking with Pat on the phone we have become very close friends. If I ever have a question relating to the spinal cord injury world that I have trouble answering I always turn to Pat because he has been extremely active with the spinal cord injury community since the early 70s. Thank you Pat for always being there and for sharing your inspirational story with the world. Click here to read more about when Pat took me out in a NASCAR - no joke!!! After my spinal cord injury, my family was told to meet Tim Strachan. Both Tim and I were injured on the same beach not far from each other but had his injury 10 years earlier than I did. Both of us were on family vacations when mother nature left her mark. Tim was an All-American high school quarterback and had a full ride to Penn State to play for Joe Paterno. His spinal cord injury left him a quadriplegic but his attitude and dedication has made him one of my role models. Tim received his undergraduate degree at University of Maryland, a graduate degree at Georgetown Law, and was recently married this past year. To learn more about Tim Strachan click here I first met Cody and her family at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. I wasn't really able to learn much about her because we both were in therapy at the time but we ended up bumping paths at different events around the country. Getting to know Cody and her family has been a pleasure. Cody has become a great advocate. She has spoken on Capitol Hill and around the country leading her mark wherever she goes. Thank you for all your great work and keep doing what you're doing. If you'd like to learn more about Cody Unser click here When it comes down to it, I've never met a person with a spinal cord injury as happy and funny as Robby. My toughest days were definitely when I was in the critical unit and inpatient rehabilitation. While in inpatient rehabilitation, I met Robby for the first time. Robby wheeled in my room at the hospital and started talking with me. Robby probably didn't know it, but it was so comforting to be able speak to somebody my own age who was living with a spinal cord injury. He told me that the doctors said that he would never walk again, but through incredible determination and a rigorous rehabilitation program a year after his injury, he was able to walk with a walker. Robby's presence in the early phases of my injury has inspired me to be get back in the hospitals and to speak to newly injured paralysis patients.
First Congressmen ever with a spinal cord injury.
I met Kris for the first time at the Christopher Reeve Gala in 2005. I always enjoy hanging around her at events up and down the East Coast. She is a great advocate click here to read one of her speeches. I watched a special on Mike Utley called "Fearless" on a SportsChannel. He has a great foundation called Thumbs up. He has a unique story that I find inspirational. Visit his website to learn more click here The first time I ever met Professir X was at the 2006 Working2walk Rally in Washington, DC. Professir X has a powerful message that he delivers through his passion and profession; his music. To learn more about his music click here
The first time I ever met Sabrina was at the Christopher Reeve Gala in 2005. Everybody at the event kept on telling me to meet "the stem cell girl". Sabrina is an incredibly creative stem cell advocate. Her website and its message truly lets you know what kind of a person Sabrina is. Sabrina has inspired me through her actions to become a creative and powerful stem cell advocate. To learn more about her web site click here
When I first started my rehabilitation at to the Kennedy Krieger Institute in June of 2005 there was only a couple of patients in their ICSI restorative therapy program, which officially had not open yet. MacKenzie was an inpatient and I was an outpatient, but our therapy times overlapped. So we had a lot of time to hang out and play games. She showed me a few things when it came to different games, especially Guess Where, a game I rarely won against her. During the winter, Dr. Wise Young came down to Washington, DC to give a speech at the Neurotrauma Society. He decided to give a speech at a restaurant and invited members of the Care Cure community to attend. While getting out of my car, I saw little MacKenzie wheeling up the street to the restaurant. After Dr. Wise Young's incredibly scientific presentation, he asked if there were any questions. MacKenzie raised her hand and asked a really great question pertaining to stem cell research. I was so proud of her. Getting to know MacKenzie has truly inspired me. To learn more about MacKenzie and her foundation, Miracles May Come, click here
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