Patient gets back on skis after suffering a spinal cord injury!

Barbara first came to RWW Home and Community Rehab after sustaining a complete spinal cord injury (SCI) while adventuring abroad.

“Going on this trip was very meaningful to Barb and me. I personally resonated with her goal of getting back on skis after her injury. I am a fellow skier and find so much freedom and happiness on the slopes. There is of course a learning curve on how sit skiing works, how to get on and off a lift, and how to use your anchors to steer. Well, given all these new obstacles, Barbara did amazing. All her hard work led her incrementally progressing down groomers.

After the ski weekend was over, I’ll always remember Barbara’s enthusiasm on wanting to get back out on the slopes. Being a recreation therapist means everything to me. Helping people find their confidence to do recreational activities they did prior to an injury is what makes this job so easy to show up for.

I remember when I first met Barbara I said, ‘We’ve got to get you back on a mountain.’ She promptly replied, ‘No way I can be ready this season.’ But with training, preparation, and accomplishing other recreational activities such as hiking, adaptive cycling, and swimming, she was able to see herself on the mountain and accomplished a goal she thought she couldn’t do. I have been honored to be by Barbara’s side during her rehab.

For nine years, I have enjoyed being a recreational therapist because I love helping people improve their physical, social, and emotional wellbeing. I love working with RWW because this dream has become a reality. I am not held back by needing to stay in a building or utilizing a space the patient will never be in after rehab. I can use my tools in spaces the patients live their lives! We have the outdoors, their home, and community spaces to help patients achieve their goals.” – Alli, Recreational Therapist

“Barb is a powerhouse. She knows what she wants and is stubborn about getting it. If she encounters an obstacle, she figures out how to modify herself, her environment, or the activity itself to eliminate that obstacle. She is a natural OT!”
– Deb, Occupational Therapist/Clinical Coordinator

“I honestly feel like my therapists Amy, Alli, Deb, and Laura have all been such a huge factor in accomplishing the things I have and I could not have done it without them. It’s difficult to describe how much support I’ve had from friends, family, neighbors, classmates, and co-workers, but without RWW we would have been rudderless. I have, without a doubt, been very lucky that I landed with RWW.” – Barb, Patient