A BICYCLE BUILT FOR TWO: Jerry Miserandino and his friend, Joanne, try out a tandem cycle. Behind them is John Herazo from Long Island, who was combat wounded in Baghdad.
Photo by Terry Downey
Vol. XIX, No. 4, Fall 2011
A BICYCLE BUILT FOR TWO: Jerry Miserandino and his friend, Joanne, try out a tandem cycle. Behind them is John Herazo from Long Island, who was combat wounded in Baghdad.
Photo by Terry Downey
As part of its Adaptive Sports and Recreation Program, soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan came from seven states to participate in Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod’s second annual Wounded Warrior Adventure Weekend. The September weekend event was designed to facilitate return to life for soldiers with serious injuries.
Many of these soldiers suffer from traumatic brain injury (TBI) and/or post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the so-called signature wounds of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Participants included three soldiers from the Fort Campbell, Kentucky, Warriors in Transition program.
SFC Brandon Lloyd of Kentucky was deployed four times and was wounded in both Iraq and Afghanistan, most recently from a roadside bomb. The combat medic has had back and neck surgery, ankle reconstruction, and treatment for TBI. Taking a break from ongoing medical care was a welcome respite.
“Here I don’t have to think about hospitals, getting poked and prodded with needles,” he said. After 11 years of active duty, SFC Lloyd is facing medical retirement. “You ask yourself, ‘what will I do with the rest of my life?’ It doesn’t take long to find yourself in the arms of depression.”
Recovering from serious injuries requires addressing both physical and emotional needs, notes Dr. Andrew Judelson, a rehabilitation physician at Spaulding Cape Cod (SCC) and volunteer for the weekend.
“When you’ve had a catastrophic injury, part of your identity is taken. You lose a big part of your life. The acute phase of treatment is about putting you back together and getting you home. Then the question is what next? These are young men and women with many years ahead. It’s not enough to get dressed and sit in the living room. Adaptive sports can be a way to get back to being a person and not a patient, to do something that helps define them in a positive way.”
Outpatient physical therapist Heather Ward of Plymouth agrees. “These events are an extension of what we do in therapy. Formal therapy is all about getting the patient back home, able to shower, eat, work. Adaptive sports can take the person to the next phase, to the things that make life fun and rewarding. People are more motivated to do what’s fun, and that helps with staying in shape and overall wellbeing.”
Using adaptive sports to connect with others is another key part of the experience, notes Mary Patstone, director of the Spaulding Adaptive Sports and Recreation Program. A number of the participants are still in the intensive phase of treatment and have not yet returned home. “They are just at the beginning of the healing process, and their challenges may seem overwhelming. Here they can enjoy activities with their loved one, surrounded by people who understand. It helps restore a sense of normalcy, of belonging and of hope. It also restores a sense of freedom that their injuries took away.”
Elias Rojas of Randolph beamed as he and several other wounded warriors glided in kayaks along the Mill River. A quadriplegic, Rojas enjoyed the ease of movement. “I like to be so close to the water, to feel the ocean go by. I used to love swimming at the beach, so kayaking brings back those memories.”
His wife, Cathy, appreciated knowing that accommodations were in place. “Accessibility is not a problem here, so I didn’t have to arrange everything. And it’s great being with others facing similar challenges. Here we fit in; there’s no difference. This gives us hope.”
At the farewell barbeque at Spaulding Cape Cod, Sgt. Lloyd talked about what they would take away from the weekend. “In my role, I have influence over the young guys. My message is going to be whether you think you can do it or not, just go. We get so much out of this experience,” he said.
Jerry Miserandino from Cambridge, who lost his hands in an explosion in Vietnam, noted how things have changed in the last 40 years. “After Vietnam they wanted to hide the disabled away. We weren’t encouraged to get back to life,” he said. “Now the public is more accepting of disabilities. Wounded Warrior events are key because they help us imagine a way back to life. You might not be able to paddle or cycle the way you did before, but the message is, if you can do this, you can do anything.”
The weekend was funded in part by the national Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project, with support from SCC, the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network, CAPEable Adventures, and community supporters who raised funds and contributed food, equipment, and personnel.
“We’ve had awesome volunteer support,” said Craig Bautz, founder of CapeABLE Adventures. In addition to kayaking, activities included camping at Shawme-Crowell State Forest, deep sea fishing aboard the Albatross out of Sesuit Harbor, cycling along Cape Cod Canal, a vintage car motorcade with the Shamrods, and sight-seeing in Plymouth.
In recent years, the Spaulding Rehabilitation Network has worked closely with the military. And its facility in Boston was the first private hospital approved to treat returning soldiers. Spaulding has served as the brain injury research arm for the Massachusetts General Hospital Red Sox Home Base Foundation and has also collaborated on several research projects with the Department of Defense.
A WINNING SPEECH: With help from her therapists, Sarah Minty, OTR/L (left) and Lauren Marble, SLP (right), Alexa Abbott uses an augmentative communications device to speak with CanalWalk participants.
Photo courtesy of Spaulding Cape Cod
An enthusiastic crowd of 200 current and former patients, staff and community supporters enjoyed fair skies and warm temperatures as they participated in the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod 12th Annual CanalWALK & Wheel fund-raiser held in September. The event raised more than $43,000, which will be used to purchase patient care equipment for Spaulding Cape Cod (SCC) and its outpatient centers.
A brief, pre-walk program included 16-year old Alexa Abbott of Plymouth in her first public speaking role. Alexa, who has cerebral palsy, was unable to communicate verbally until she began working with SCC speech therapist Lauren Marble. Alexa used an augmentative communication device to describe how therapy has improved her communication skills.
“I love coming to see everyone at Spaulding,” she said. “Sarah [Sarah Minty, occupational therapist] has helped me use my hand to write, and with Lauren I’ve learned to use the computer so people can understand me better.”
According to her mother, Kim Abbott, learning to use the technology has been a big step for Alexa. “She’s very proud. It’s given her her voice. She gets to say something to the world.”
“There’s such a collaborative spirit here, from the investment of our business partners in our mission to the engagement of our patients and their support networks,” commented Maureen Banks, SCC president. “Everyone is working together so that staff can help our patients find the strength needed to succeed in their rehab.”