Client Success Stories

Arby, C6/7 Spinal Cord Injury

Arby came to NextStepsNW September 2006, 2 years after his car accident that left him paralyzed from the trunk down. After 4 months of intensive exercise recovery therapy, and was able to crawl and take steps on the treadmill with the weight supported gait trainer.

Today, although his manual chair is still his main mode of transportation, Arby is able to walk with the use of a walker 30-40 feet at a time.  His progress is due to immense determination and hard work 3 days a week.  His goal is to be able to walk more the roll!

Jan 2007 - 4 months into the NextStepsNW program

Larry, C5 Spinal Cord Injury

"I highly endorse this program! I've improved my endurance and strength tremedously, and I'm walking again with the help of the weight supported gait trainer."

Larry has recently moved from the weight supported gait trainer to a conventional walker.  He is able to get from sitting to standing and to walk independently for 40 feet.  He is well on his way to recovery!

Doug, C2 Spinal Cord Injury

Doug came to NextStepsNW in January 2006 after a skiing accident at Crystal Mountain that left him an incomplete C2 quadriplegic. Over the past 11 months, Doug has made remarkable progress in gaining back strength and mobility throughout his entire body. When he first came to NextStepsNW, he could only stand for 15 seconds before he got so dizzy he needed to sit. His blood pressure has stabilized from performing standing and gliding exercises and now Doug can stand for long periods with no problem (without the use of binders).

Doug’s circulation has dramatically improved. He used to be constantly cold, even while working out, and he now feels his system is getting back to normal. He and his trainer, Tricia Lazzar LMP, NSCA-CPT, have worked hard on improving his balance and trunk control. When he first arrived he had no core, arm or leg strength and was unable to sit up, needing multiple assistants at all times.  He now sits independently.  The hip pain that once overcame him is now dramatically reduced due to regaining both muscle mass and strength. As of December 2006, Doug was taking steps with the help of the weight supported gait trainer system. This summer, he has surpassed all of his short term goals and is on to new ones!

Doug’s has both short and long term goals; from being able to scratch his own nose to standing up at the dinner table this year to make the holiday toast for his family. This summer's accomplishements have been: moving into a manual chair, transfering with little assistance, going from sitting to standing by himself at the parallel bars, and transferring in and out of a regular passenger car seat.  To help him reach his goals faster, Tricia has given Doug exercises to work on at home to complement what he’s doing here. We can wait to see what Doug does next!!

Don, T2 Spinal Cord Injury

My husband, Donald has a compression spinal cord injury he suffered in August of 2004. He has been diagnosed at Harborview Hospital as paralyzed from the breast down at stage C, incomplete. He also developed a mysterious heart arrhythmia at this time. We have been involved in an exercise program, tailored for his special needs at NextStepsNW in Redmond, WA since August 2005.  We are gratified with the obvious recovery he is achieving.  As well as helping him maintain general health, he is gaining a good deal of strength, movement, vitality and flexibility he did not have when he first began the program here.  His latest medical heart exams were much improved from the former testing he did.

We have experienced NextStepsNW as a happy, homey place, with a very friendly, optimistic, even humorous milieu. Where there has been so much trauma and grief, it has been a gift to find a place that offers acceptance, genuine caring and a realistic hope to us.  Thank you NextStepsNW for fill our days with your benevolence and sharing your therapeutic expertise with our community.       

                                                                                    Don & Helen

Chad, C5/6 Spinal Cord Injury

"Since I've been coming to NextStepsNW I feel stronger all over; it's easier to breathe and I don't get dizzy as much. I have better balance and can sit up and transfer on my own which I could not do before I came to NextStepsNW."

Through massage and strength training, Chad has regained enough use of his arms and shoulders to move to a manual chair.