newsletters
July 17, 2003
Kabir at Project Walk
Ted (Project Walk Director) and Kabir talked with me one day last week about his concept of the “reprogramming” and rebuilding of the quadripeligic’s nervous system, as the companion to the muscle and structure strength building program. Ted continues to be excited about the early achievements of Kabir’s progress in the reprogramming mode.
Kabir has been working with the Project Walk recovery program four months now, participating in 3 hour sessions 3 days per week. Kabir is ready to move to 4-days per week and requires less rest between sessions. The pesky urinary tract infection and dysreflexia remains part of his life, although much less severe than 4 months ago.
Ted explains that the recovery of the nervous system is accomplished through a complex of stimulus, including exercise and movement, meditation and imagining, electronic and manual stimulation and repetition. Ted believes that the programming happens in a series of advances and plateaus along new found pathways which become a critical part of the recovery process taught at Project Walk.
The reprogramming is importantly managed by the patient. Ted’s staff directs the training protocol observing and recording the new advances and next surges of physical strength and movements. Kabir is rotated through recovery sessions working with all therapists and interns who bring an array of perspective and challenge.
Photos and videos of clients in progress are found in the updated website www.projectwalk.org you’ll see people on machines and people making first steps and journeys across the carpet headed for the door to the outside. Kabir takes in every movement and every conversation about new ideas, recent surgeries in Mexico and Portugal, as he plans his recovery along the lines of success of his new friends struggling before him. The website contains exciting images of real people and real stories.
Sunday afternoon Kabir cradled a telephone to his ear in conversation seated in his wheelchair. Unnaturally Ira asked him to hold the phone to continue a conversation while he moved on to another task involving the computer.
He no longer requires the head rest on the wheelchair to support his head and neck; he moves his head from side to side in observation and natural conversation. He has given up the middle-torso support girdle. He is relinquishing the idea of owning a new motorized wheel chair and realizes that a manual wheelchair need not be a long-term investment but an intermediate accommodation in the recovery process. He has begun electronic therapy of arms, hands and fingers with a TENS machine. Ted encourages hydro-therapy which Kabir is exploring. Water therapy is not close-by in North County. Transportation and cost are again usual hurdles to overcome.
Our costs for his therapy and living expenses are exhausting my personal resources. We have only come this far benefiting from the generous giving and financial support of friends across the country and abroad.
Donations made to the National Transplant Assistance Fund (NTAF) on Kabir’s behalf are “tax-deductible charitable contributions”. Any amount which you could give to Kabir’s recovery at Project Walk will bring him closer to walking in the next 20 months. Donations of any size, and especially gifts pledged monthly to NTAF help us budget away from uncertainty. You will receive a “gift letter” to support your tax deductible gift. A note or email from you about your gift will allow Kabir to express his gratitude and for him to share his progress with you.
Please send your gift or pledge to: CLICK HERE