Few quadriplegics are able to ride a horse, live independently and drive a car, let alone walk again just four years after sustaining complete paralysis from the neck down.
But when Doreen resident Rhiannon Tracey became a quadriplegic after a diving incident while on holiday in Bali, she refused to accept the misgivings of her doctors that she would never walk again.
Her latest victory hasn’t been quite so physical in nature however.
On November 1, she received the keys to a specialised spinal cord injury recovery site, The Next Step: Spinal Cord Injury Recovery, she plans to open with the help of a dedicated, 100-member strong committee.
All that’s missing now is the equipment, such as dumbbells and poison balls, and functional electrical simulation bikes that cost $38,000.
“There’s a lot of facilities offering alternate rehabilitation programs in the US. I attended one of them, and realised that Australia really is behind when it comes to spinal cord injury recovery,” Ms Tracey said.
“Too much money is spent overseas, so we put our heads together to start something here,” she said.
To help raise funds Glen Waverly resident Effie Klapsos has organised a twilight market on November 23 that will take place in the new Thomastown facility.
All proceeds from the market will go towards the purchasing of equipment.
Like many members of the committee who have been either directly or indirectly affected by spinal cord injury, Ms Klapsos’s brother Gabriel became a quadriplegic following a motorcycling incident five years ago.
“He’ll be using the facility as well,” Ms Klapsos said. “People like my brother don’t aim to walk but gain a bit of independence.”
The Next Step will feature alternative methods of rehabilitation including physiotherapy, intensive exercise programs, massage and acupuncture.
“We made the decision to wean Rhiannon off the meds. What we’ve learnt is that the ones who have recovered have gone the alternate way,” Ms Tracey’s mother, Sharon Bradford said.
They hope to open the centre early next year.
