Bonnie McGuire was a woman who traveled all over the world, both Europe, Asia and North Africa. While a student and working as a teacher, at a department store and at the post office, she would take three months out of the year to travel.

One year she decided to travel to Mexico, but it wasn't what she expected.

While climbing a Mayan pyramid on the border of Mexico and Guatemala with her friends, Bonnie lost her balance and fell. "I have no memory of falling," says Bonnie. "I woke up with the doctor telling me to follow his finger, and I realized I was in Mexico. He told me that I had been in a terrible accident and the conclusion of it was that I was paralyzed."

It took a while for Bonnie to get the gist of what had happened to her.

Find out what happened to Bonnie.

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NextStep Fitness, a Reeve Foundation Community Fitness and Wellness Center, has been chosen by vineyard vines for their Charity of the Month. From now through February, you will be able to purchase a specially made NextStep Fitness tie as part of vineyard vines' Tied to a Cause Program, with all proceeds going to NextStep!

These ties are limited and feature NextStep's logo (pictured), so hurry, buy yours today and make a difference!

More on NextStep Fitness.

Learn about our Community Fitness and Wellness Centers.

Janelle

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The Open Hearts Foundation, a nonprofit charity established to raise funds to enrich the lives of children in the areas of health, arts, sports and education, announces its inaugural Open Hearts celebration in Malibu, Calif. on Saturday, February 19, 2011.

The event will be hosted at the private residence of award-winning actress, artist and philanthropist Jane Seymour and her husband, director, producer and writer, James Keach. At the event, the Open Hearts Foundation will recognize the achievements of four outstanding individuals, each with an inspiring story that exemplifies the Open Hearts Foundation’s mission.

“Living with an Open Heart allows you to overcome adversity and create something positive in your life. This philosophy, which reflected my mother’s advice, has inspired me to live my life with an Open Heart,” said Jane Seymour, a founding board member of the Open Hearts Foundation. “I’m truly humbled that so many people have found comfort and inspiration in my Open Heart symbol and philosophy.”

The notable honorees receiving the first-ever Open Heart Award will include individuals who live the Open Heart philosophy. Each honoree will receive a limited-edition bronze sculpture designed and signed by Seymour.

Jesse Billauer of Life Rolls On, a Reeve Foundation subsidiary, is among the honorees.

Learn more about the celebration.

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Former New York Jets' player Dennis Byrd broke his neck and was paralyzed from the waist down during a game in November of 1992. Even though, the #90 jersey was cut from his body, he has used it for inspiration.

He shared his story with the CBS Early Show in the wake of the Jets' recent Super Bowl run.

When asked if it was tough to look at his jersey on daly-after-day, year-after-year, Byrd answered, "It's not hard to look at a jersey. The jersey, to me, was symbolic of so many things. All of the effort, the work, the sacrifice that it took to get to the point to earn that jersey."

Last week, Byrd's beloved Jets prepared for a playoff game against their biggest rival, the heavily-favored New England Patriots. In an effort to give them a boost, Byrd took that jersey off his shelf and sent it to Jets head coach Rex Ryan.

"It blew me away," Ryan said of receiving the jersey. "I thought, 'Wow man, this is incredible, it's such a honor."'

Ryan was so moved by the gesture he asked Byrd to visit the team. And the night before the game, Byrd stood before them.

Byrd said, "It was for them to understand the importance of the moment, as well as to understand the true gift of what they have as athletes."

Read the rest.

Watch the clip of Jets' players carrying Byrd's jersey out for a coin toss during their playoff game vs. the Patriots.

Janelle

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Kim Harrison, 45 at the time, was on a business trip to Dallas, Texas when she was stricken with a neurological syndrome called transverse myelitis.

She was working as a supervisor for a warehouse in Atlanta, Georgia, and was flown out to Texas to help in another location. She woke up one morning while in Texas in her hotel room with her right foot asleep. "I wasn't doing anything adventurous, I wasn't doing anything dangerous," says Harrison. "I literally got up that morning, put my feet on the ground and my right foot was numb and had a pricking feeling."

Harrison assumed that she had slept wrong, or had pinched a nerve, or had picked up a box wrong at the warehouse and pulled a muscle in her back.

Learn what happened to Kim next.

You story matters, share it!

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We've raved a lot about Jesse Ruben lately, but for good reason. Ruben is "one step closer to greatness" as an article in the New York Daily News explains.

On the list of what 24-year-old singer Jesse Ruben doesn't have is a record label, a publicist or a booking agent.

But what he does have — raw talent and unwavering determination — just about outweighs all the rest.

It's true. Ruben uses real-life experiences, like that of his best friend and Reeve Foundation ambassador Zack Weinstein, to find inspiration for his music. (Read more about Jesse and Zack). Though Ruben has a manager, he still makes the effort to book his own shows and get his name out there. He is after all, one step closer to greatness.

"It's not always an easy thing to do, but it makes my lyrics relatable," he says. "Hearing someone say that your music is significant to their lives is incredibly rewarding."

But rewarding doesn't pay the rent. The next step is, he hopes, a paying career doing what he loves.

"It's going to happen," he says confidently.

Read the rest.

Get to know Jesse.

Janelle

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Friends of the Foundation, The Walkabout Foundation, who were honored at 2010's A Magical Evening with the Christopher Reeve Spirit of Courage Award, were honorably noted by remarks from Congresswoman Illeana Ros-Lehitnen of Florida on the floor of the House of Representatives in Washington DC last week.

Watch the clip of Congresswoman Ros-Lehitnen remarks.

Walkabout's mission is two-fold: to actively pursue a cure for paralysis by funding research programs identified as promising by its partner organizations, and to provide wheelchairs to those who cannot afford one or obtain one from local health organizations. For those who need one, a wheelchair is not only a right to mobility, but also a right to freedom and independence.

Learn how co-founder Carolina, walked 500 miles for SCI!

Visit the The Walkabout Foundation's website to learn more about their work.

Janelle

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Attention, filmmakers! The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability is sponsoring a video contest entitled, "How do you get enough?" NCPAD is a nonprofit organization focused on physical activity and health promotion for people with disabilities.

Being physically active is good for everybody. This is especially true for people with disabilities who tend to participate in less physical activity, carry excess weight, and have higher rates of chronic heart disease and other health conditions. The intention of this video contest is to illustrate to society that people with disabilities do live healthy active lifestyles as well as share various ways to get physical activity for individuals with disabilities and activity limitations.

Whether it's indoor or outdoor, recreational or competitive, solo or team, easy or intensive, show us (and the rest of the world) how you (successfully or unsuccessfully) get enough activity in a 1- to 10-minute video clip! See the video contest rules and entry form, click here.

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The 2010 ING New York City Marathon wrapped up a few months ago, but watching this video I felt I was right there all over again! The video captures the intensity, drive, and unique characteristics that make up Team Reeve!

The spirit our New York athletes had was pouring out of them on marathon day as each of the 65 athletes crossed that finish line. Don't believe me? Watch for yourself!

It's hard to not be inspired by the athletes, their stories, and most of all the support and determination from them and their family and friends to help the Reeve Foundation. If you want to be a part of Team Reeve, click here. You don't have to run a marathon, either. Organize a local car wash, bowling party, or any other type of fundraiser, and be a part of the team. Turn your passions into a mission to help others today!

GO TEAM REEVE!

Janelle

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The Reeve Foundation has released their latest edition of the Reeve Report. This Reeve Report is jammed packed with information about what the Reeve Foundation is up to.

You can learn more about a previous Quality of Life grant recipient, Mind Body Solutions (pictured). They are a nonprofit organization in Minnesota that teaches the mind-body approach to yoga students who are both able-bodied and to those living with disabilities.

The Reeve Report also features coverage of our Road Show events, information on Daniel Heumann Young Scientists Fund, and a great recap of a Life Rolls On event.

Cozy up and get ready to read the Reeve Report!

Janelle

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Tune into the Speed Channel on Friday, January 21 at 6pm as the Darrell Gwynn Foundation will auction two cars and make a wheelchair donation live!

Proceeds from the sales of a street-version replica Wood Brothers Mercury Montego driven by David Pearson at the famous 1976 Daytona 500 and the replica Coors Extra Gold Dragster driven by Darrell Gwynn during his racing career, will benefit the foundation's Wheelchair Education Program, Education & Prevention Program, Paralyzed Assistance Fund, Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Week initiative and Fast Track Laboratory.

You can bid on the cars by visiting: http://www.barrett-jackson.com/events/scottsdale/

Watch LIVE on Speed Channel:
Wheelchair Donation to Erasmo Portillo, 6 p.m. EST
Wood Brothers Mercury Montego Car Auction, Lot #962
Coors Extra Gold Dragster Car Auction, Lot #962.1

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Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and Athersys, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATHX) announced a joint scientific study on spinal cord injury will be published today in the January issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. The study, by leading researchers from the Department of Neurosciences at the School of Medicine and scientists at Athersys, presents data supporting the potential therapeutic benefit of Athersys' MultiStem® program for spinal cord injury. Researchers observed that administration of Multipotent Adult Progenitor Cells (MAPC) following spinal cord injury in rodent models prevented the retraction of neurons, a process referred to as "axonal dieback," reduced inflammation in the region of injury, and also promoted the regrowth of neurons.

According to the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, there are currently more than 1,200,000 people in the United States living with spinal cord injury, and approximately 12,000 to 20,000 new cases occur each year. Most patients that suffer spinal cord injury are between the ages of 15 and 35. The long term cost of spinal cord damage is estimated to range from $500,000 to more than $3 million per patient, depending on the severity of the injury.

"This study demonstrates for the first time that an adult stem cell is capable of modifying multiple aspects of the wound response following a spinal cord injury, concurrently altering the inflammatory response to mitigate secondary injury in the central nervous system and increasing the regenerative potential of the damaged neurons themselves. Certain adult adherent stem cells are known to have immunomodulatory capabilities, but their potential to inhibit this detrimental inflammation-related process in spinal cord injury had not been investigated until now," said Jerry Silver, PhD, Professor in the Department of Neurosciences at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine.

Read more about the study.

 

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New in the PRC Library…

I Will Teach You Everything You Need to Know. By Steven Kirshblum. Short Hills, NJ: Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, 2010.

The Reeve Foundation has published a children’s book about spinal cord injury from a renowned physician at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. When Junior is seven years old, his father Ted is injured in an accident. The book explains the various emotions a family may feel when a loved one is injured. It also goes through all the steps of rehab and physical therapy. The son starts to take care of his dad and teaches him what he needs to know to get through the difficult period after a spinal cord injury.

We have free copies of this book to give away. Please fill out this form for a copy.

Sergeant Princess Juliet (PJ) Bartell (pictured at right) organized a 5K at her post called Soldiers for Superman. PJ wrote a little something about the 5K.

8 January 2011, Victory Base Complex, Baghdad Iraq

A couple of months into my deployment I had noticed a lot of benefit fun runs that had occurred throughout the Victory Base Complex and I had wanted to put together one as well. For a while I was not sure who/what I wanted to do the run for, after a little while the idea of Soldiers for Superman awareness run came to mind.

I had grown up a huge fan of Christopher Reeve and had continued to be amazed by him even after he no longer wore the cape. He was today's real live Superman, showing everyone that it doesn't take having super powers to be a hero. After confiding in a close friend about my idea she had confided in me a story of her step-son and his challenges with paralysis and that he had passed a few years ago. Hearing her words gave me that final affirmation that the Christopher Reeve foundation is who I wanted to create a run for here in Iraq.

The next day I began emailing the foundation and created the Soldiers for Superman team page. Soon I was in touch with both Leigh Alspach and Mark Zenobia and the 5K began to develop. It was a whirl wind after that, coordinating with everyone from the Mayor Cell here and everyone back home as well.

My commander had caught wind of what I was doing and was incredibly supportive; sponsoring shirts to give to the runners which I had put together. Soon from my company alone we had 25 runners and volunteers, total we had over 300 participants the morning of the run. Everyone from civilians to military, from ranks as lows a private E-1 all the way up to colonels. It was an amazing sight the morning of the run, seeing everyone waiting for us, it took my breath away for a moment. I had never imagined it would be what it was.

This had been an awareness run more than a fundraiser, but I hope that one day, a stateside Soldiers for Superman 5K can be put together to continue raising support and awareness. More than anything, I am just thankful that I was given the opportunity to put it together.

This is what I call team work! Great work PJ and thank you to all our troops! Want to organize an event of your for the Reeve Foundation? Here's how.

Janelle

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This video clip shows first hand some of the difficulties a gamer living with a disability might face when it comes to using standard controls.

Chuck, a gamer who is living with quadriplegia, shows a clip of him using his face to control the buttons (pictured at right). He is asking for your support with a button remapping petition.

Watch the video.

Sign the petition.

Game on!

Janelle

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