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Indianapolis Star: The NeuroHope Story

January 3, 2023/in Annoucements, General Blog Posts, Homepage, Media, News/by Chris Leeuw

By Shari Rudavsky: Indianapolis Star, December 25, 2022

The abandoned bridge over the river in southern Indiana near Edinburgh beckoned to the group of kayakers in the water below.

Chris Leeuw is the Founder and Executive Director of NeuroHope.
Photo: Jenna Watson/IndyStar

Chris Leeuw and his friends secured their boats, scaled the structure, and poised to dive into the cool water below. Flying through the air, Leeuw did not notice the man next to him who had jumped off the bridge nanoseconds after his own feet left the ground. When Leeuw hit the water, the stranger landed atop his head, snapping his neck and instantly changing his life irrevocably. The man, whose name Leeuw does not know to this day, dragged him to shore, saving his life. But Leeuw, who never lost consciousness, could feel nothing.

“It was literally like a light switch,” he said. “I was just totally paralyzed from the neck down.”

After Leeuw was airlifted to IU Health Methodist for emergency surgery, his doctors said he’d never walk again, but he defied those predictions after spending months in a Utah specialty rehabilitation clinic. His success in Utah inspired him to open a mirror of that program here in Indianapolis, helping others with injuries similar to his own.

Unlike conventional rehab that cease when insurance payments stop, Leeuw’s NeuroHope clinic focuses on long-term recovery, stepping in to help patients who have exhausted their physical therapy allotments. To help pay for the costly service, Leeuw fundraises tirelessly to keep his self-pay fees reasonable.

NeuroHope, the rehabilitation center he opened on the northeast side, recently received a $1 million OrthoIndy Foundation grant. The money will allow the 5-year-old center expand further, serve more patients and fill a void of longterm therapy for people with spinal cord or brain injuries or who have suffered strokes.

Leeuw and his program have been on the radar of the OrthoIndy Foundation since 2016 when Leeuw approached the Foundation for assistance. “Blown away” by Leeuw’s accomplishments, the Foundation initially committed $36,000 to the program. When OrthoIndy started thinking about making another major grant along the lines of the $3 million it gave to help build the Pike Township YMCA in 2016, NeuroHope topped the list.

Indiana has no other program like NeuroHope, which is one of just 11 community fitness and wellness centers around the world that belong to the Christopher Reeve Foundation’s Neuro-Recovery Network. Many insurance programs provide physical therapy for only a set amount of time; Leeuw’s own experience as well as those of many of the NeuroHope clients attest to the value of continuing to work on recovery, his fans at OrthoIndy say.

“Chris’s program demonstrates that there are more opportunities for rehabilitation, but you have to stay at it for a long time,” said John Ryan, OrthoIndy CEO. “What it affords our doctors to do … is to offer up that there are solutions that will extend beyond what they might otherwise receive.”

Lydia Miner (right) a PTA, works with Tranicia Hankins at NeuroHope. The center offers long-term physical therapy and a fitness space for people with neurologic injuries. Hankins had a stroke six years ago and is training to walk again. Photo: Jenna Watson/IndyStar

Drop by NeuroHope on any weekday and you’ll see a range of activity. Some patients work one-on-one with physical or occupational therapists, honing their balance or improving their walking skills in other ways. Others work on upper- body strength, building back up muscles that have atrophied.

In one room, NeuroHope’s wellness coordinator Kendal Baker stands in the midst of a circle of men on machines, some on recumbent bikes, others on machines that work out their arms instead of their legs. The class has a spin class feel as Baker exhorts the men to move faster, raise their heart rate and watches the effect on a screen in front.

Outside the class in the main Tranicia Hankins, 41, walks a careful line under the watchful eyes of a staff member. The Noblesville resident, who had a stroke six years ago, came to NeuroHope after rehabbing elsewhere.

Since Hankins started at NeuroHope, her mother has noticed that she’s more stable when she walks and has more endurance. Now, Hankins hopes that one day she may walk without a cane. Watching Leeuw around the gym has proved an inspiration, Hankins said, “just to see him doing it every day.”

Coming back from the accident

Megan Lashley (left) a neurorecovery exercise specialist, works with a client for balance training at NeuroHope.
Photo: Jenna Watson / IndyStar

But Leeuw cautions that his story of recovery is just that — his own — and that each person travels his or her own recovery path, depending on multiple factors such as the severity of their accident.

Reaching this point, however, was as long a journey for Leeuw as for his clients.

Almost instantly after his accident, which abruptly ended the kayaking excursion with friends, Leeuw knew he was paralyzed. He was airlifted to IU Health Methodist Hospital and rushed into emergency surgery.

Despite what doctors feared, about a week after his accident, Leeuw, who was in peak shape, moved a muscle in his inner thigh.

“That was a little small glimmer of hope,” he said. “But the recovery process is so long. … And the journey is a mental journey just as much as a physical one.”

At the time of the accident, Leeuw worked for ChaCha, the search engine started by multimillionaire Scott Jones. But recovery became a full-time job. He had to learn how to navigate his life, how to feed himself, how to bathe, how to use a power wheelchair.

Statistics suggest that those with spinal cord injuries eventually plateau in their recovery so Leeuw knew that all too soon the intensive therapy to which he had access in those early months after the accident would come to an end. After a stint at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana, Leeuw moved to a nursing home, where he continued to recover ever so slowly.

While in the nursing home, he even achieved the milestone of standing again, putting weight on his legs. Although just a few months earlier, he had thought he might never stand again, this achievement proved only small solace for him.

“It was kind of hard to celebrate some of those early wins because you still wanted more,” he said.

His former boss Jones told him about a clinic near Salt Lake City, opened by a doctor who himself had recovered from a spinal cord injury and learned to walk again. Leeuw fundraised enough to relocate to Utah with his mother.

Housed in a space far smaller than Leeuw’s own current facility, Neuroworx featured state-of-the-art equipment and operated on the philosophy that people like Leeuw need longerterm care than insurance covers to maximize recovery. For three hours a day five days a week, Leeuw said, he concentrated on regaining as many of his abilities as possible.

After about two years Leeuw could walk again and care for himself again, although his left side continues to have some level of paralysis. The final step for him involved being able to drive on his own. After therapy each day, he and his mother would visit a student driving course near their apartment and Leeuw would take the wheel of the car, which was outfitted with a special knob.

“I would always keep trying to get my right arm strong enough to turn the wheel, and I’d fail and fail and fail,” he said. “Then when I finally was able to do that, that was time to go home.”

More of the care they need

As Leeuw drove himself back east to Indiana, he brought with him a vision: An Indianapolis clinic in Indianapolis that replicated the one in Utah.

Elliot Cohee, PT, DPT (left) is the Director of Therapy at NeuroHope and oversees clinical operations. Here he works with Brad Spencer in a gait training exercise.

From his own experience, Leeuw knew health insurance often does not cover such care. Most insurance plans only cover 22 to 28 therapy visits a year, far from sufficient for people recovering from catastrophic accidents.

At first Leeuw partnered with the University of Indianapolis, which gave him free space in a small room in Fountain Square. He opened NeuroHope in 2015 with little but a therapy mat and a dream.

Soon, however, Leeuw fundraised about $100,000 to purchase an electrical stimulation machine that improves strength and coordination by using electrical current pulses to stimulate muscle contractions. He secured additional donated equipment, such as a standing frame for those who use wheelchairs to practice standing.

Although NeuroHope had only parttime hours, patients flocked to the doors, through word of mouth. Two years ago the Indiana Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Fund gave the clinic a two-year grant of close to $1 million, opening the door for the clinic to expand. In 2017 NeuroHope moved to its current home adjoining the fitness center of what was then Incrediplex. The new space allowed Leeuw to realize his dream of a hybrid facility that’s part physical therapy clinic, part fitness center.

“That’s what we do that’s so unique … We see people in different, different places in their recovery,” Leeuw said. “We merge the two because we recognize these injuries take a long time to recover from.”

Brittanie Howe (right) a physical therapist, leads Olivia Garrison in a core-strengthening exercise at NeuroHope

About 30% of people with spinal cord injuries are sedentary, never leaving their wheelchairs and about 30% are hospitalized every year for issues like skin breakdown, pressure sores, or cardiovascular trouble, Leeuw said. Keeping this population healthy, then, not only improves individual health but can also saves on hospital costs.

For some, insurance covers their physical therapy; others pay out of pocket for services. To help defray costs and make it possible to offer patients in need care, Leeuw fundraises full time, which sets his facility apart from others that rely on insurers for payment.

At the time of the move, the clinic had about half a dozen employees and served about 25 people. Today the staff has nearly tripled in size for about 95 clients, Leeuw said. While most of the patients come from central Indiana, some travel from out of state. Although some may not have had exposure to some of the machines that NeuroHope offers, for most the clinic’s philosophy rather than its technology proves the draw.

“A majority of the time people have gotten the care they needed. It’s just they need more of it,” said Elliot Cohee, director of therapy. “A lot of our philosophy is just getting people out of their chair … and just trying to get them to use as much as their strength and their body that they can to help with the recovery.”

While Leeuw realizes that his own story may serve as a beacon to others that they, too, can come back from devastating injuries, he also stresses that as he see it, his success lies not in the fact he tried harder or did more therapy. Instead, he said, his injury was not as severe as those others have endured — and he did two years of intense work to relearn how to walk and use his arms.

Binh Dennis works out in a group cardio class at NeuroHope. Photo: Jenna Watson / IndyStar

Leeuw and his staff shy away from answering the question so many clients ask, When will I walk again? Each person, they know, is different; each injury poses its own challenges.

After a motorcycle accident in 2018, Binh Dennis, 52, eventually found his way to NeuroHope, looking for a place that would help him continue to regain as much of his past life as possible from his wheelchair.

Formerly a Fishers police officer, when Dennis was discharged from the hospital, he could only transfer himself from his wheelchair to a hospital bed. Now he can go from his chair to any sitting surface, shower independently, dress himself.

Three times a week, Dennis comes to NeuroHope, where he takes cardio classes, strength training classes, and works on increasing his abilities.

“I have come to accept the fact that my injury is permanent. What I look forward to is continuing maintaining my independence,” Dennis said. “The biggest thing I have gained is mental strength. Nothing is impossible.”

Contact IndyStar reporter Shari Rudavsky on email at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @srudavsky.

https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Olivia-Indy-star_cropped.jpg 718 1229 Chris Leeuw /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svg Chris Leeuw2023-01-03 12:39:152023-01-03 12:49:41Indianapolis Star: The NeuroHope Story

NeuroHope Featured on Fox 59

December 16, 2022/in Annoucements, General Blog Posts, Homepage, Media/by Chris Leeuw

LAWRENCE, Ind. — A local nonprofit rehab center now seeks to reduce barriers to long-term care after receiving a $1 million grant.

The OrthoIndy Foundation awarded the grant to NeuroHope in Lawrence, a physical therapy rehab center.

NeuroHope founder Chris Leeuw is no stranger to the long road of recovery. Leeuw opened the rehab center in 2015 after spending years recovering from his very own accident. He was paralyzed after a swimming accident when he was 28 years old.

Years later, Leeuw now strives to expand access to long-term physical care and rehabilitation.

“When you deal through a catastrophic injury like that, you’re thrown into an entirely different world,” Leeuw said. “Recovery, mentally, physically emotionally, it’s a journey that affects you, your family and there’s a void in healthcare.”

He said he now aims to fill that void.

“We have awesome healthcare here,” Leeuw said. “We are very fortunate that we have great healthcare facilities and great hospitals, but long-term there is a big void in care. A lot of patients fall through the cracks.”

Healthcare costs can be expensive and overwhelming for many recovering from serious injuries, Leeuw said.

“Our mission revolves around making it affordable for people so they can actually have access to physical therapists, have access to some really state of the art interventions to help some neurological injury, spinal cord injury, stroke,” he said.

NeuroHope has been a life-changer for many local patients. No step is ever too small.

“You got to have faith,” said NeuroHope patient Juan Beamon. “You know, faith without works is dead. You just got to keep pushing on.”

Beaman, like many other NeuroHope patients, is learning to walk again after a traumatic incident. He was injured in a car wreck back in 2018, but then became paralyzed after a brain surgery soon after.

His time at NeuroHope serves a motivator.

“It kind of makes me think of a child being born that doesn’t know how to walk,” Beaman said. “It has to learn. [NeuroHope] is really home to me, like, I’ve come in and been accepted by so many people.”

The same holds true for other patients like Mark Bradley.

“May 18, I fell, blacked out at an airport, fell and broke my neck,” Bradley said.

There is not a task too challenging for the 65-year-old.

“I can do a lot more now than I could when I got here,” he said. “It’s been a nice, what, for five months now.”

Thanks to the new grant, Leeuw said his rehab center now awaits hundreds of new stories of triumph and success.

“This is an amazing opportunity for us to be able to help more people,” he said.

NueroHope has expanded its gym. It will also now be able to hire more staff, see more patients and help buy new equipment to help care for patients. Meanwhile, there is one goal in mind – reducing any barriers to care.

https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Fox59.jpg 346 633 Chris Leeuw /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svg Chris Leeuw2022-12-16 18:01:142022-12-16 18:09:26NeuroHope Featured on Fox 59

NeuroHope Receives $150,000 State Grant

October 11, 2021/in Annoucements, General Blog Posts, Homepage, News/by Chris Leeuw

We are proud to announce that NeuroHope is the recipent of a new $150,000 grant from the Indiana Department of Health, by way of the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CTSI) and the Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Fund!

Back in 2017, an expansion grant from CTSI and the Indiana Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Fund helped NeuroHope lay the foundation for an extended therapy and wellness gym in Indianapolis for patients to continue their recovery and improve their health after insurance expires.  Now, we are honored to receive additional funding to help our program continue to grow.

Indianapolis is fortunate to have excellent rehabilitation hospitals for people recovering from catastrophic events.  Unfortunately, due to the rising costs of healthcare, the time patients are able to spend in them is often limited to a matter of weeks of insurance covered therapy visits.

NeuroHope was created to fill this void in care.  We believe the high cost of therapy should not prevent people from receiving the care they need during their life-changing recovery.  Our model revolves around providing affordable rates for therapy and wellness programs.  We raise funds through community partners, grants, and our army of supporters to offset the cost so patients have a longer-term continuum of care.  We are thankful the state of Indiana continues to have confidence in our program and the hundreds of patients we have served!

This grant will be an important part of our model and we look forward to the coming year!

https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/NHCTSI.jpg 303 797 Chris Leeuw /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svg Chris Leeuw2021-10-11 17:24:522022-09-26 16:27:58NeuroHope Receives $150,000 State Grant

3rd Annual “Swing Fore Hope” Raises $53,000!

September 29, 2020/in Annoucements, General Blog Posts, News/by Chris Leeuw

What a day! Our 3rd annual “Swing Fore Hope” charity scramble was a smashing success. 132 golfers, 18 sponsors, a silent auction, raffle winners, patient speeches by Mitch Dankert and Chris Nichols, and a day’s worth of free food and drinks for all. Most importantly, we raised a grand total of $53,000 for NeuroHope!

There are many people to thank who made this year’s ONLY fundraiser such a success:

Every golfer that came out to support our patients, the auction item donors, the NeuroHope events committee led by Justin Davis, who planned the outing for months, Indy Biplanes for an exciting tee-off flyover, Ironwood Golf Club for being such great hosts, all of our pizza donors, Jack’s Donuts, Fuzzy’s Vodka, Four Day Ray Brewing, and Havana Cigar Lounge for the presence and product donations all afternoon!  

A special thanks goes to our Event Sponsors: Hensley Legal Group, Langdon Shaw Wealth Management, hc1.com, Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine, Rehab Medical, and Delta Faucet

A special thanks also goes out to all of our hole sponsors:  

Ameripak, Aero Industries, Axiom HR, Brenda Bowman – FC Tucker, Bright Ideas of Broadripple, Burger King of Kokomo & Muncie, David Bruce – State Farm, Greg George Insurance Agency, Justus Real Estate, Kimball Electronics,  KSM Consulting, The Laviolette Group, Lynch, Harrison, & Brumleve, Lannie Thompson – FC Tucker, National Bank of Indianapolis, Patterson Horth General Contractors, Rehabiliation Associates of Indiana, Sparenberg Farms, The Spickelmier Family, Systemmax Corporation, Tim Allen Photo.

Congratulations to all of our contest winners who took home Delta Faucet merhandise (Longest Drive, closet to the pin).  And, cheers to the new “Swing Fore Hope” Champions: Austin Bowman, Josh Martin, Craig Costello, and Drew Schroeder!

Don’t forget – you can support NeuroHope year-round by choosing “NeuroHope of Indiana” as your Amazon Smile charity.  You can also set up easy, monthly recurring contributions by clicking here.  Just $25 per month from 100 people would be an extra $30,000 per year for our patients!!

Thank you all!  We’ll see you next year!

https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2020-golf.jpg 303 797 Chris Leeuw /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svg Chris Leeuw2020-09-29 12:12:342020-11-10 15:08:133rd Annual “Swing Fore Hope” Raises $53,000!

NeuroHope Presents at APTA National Conference

February 21, 2020/in Annoucements, General Blog Posts, News/by Chris Leeuw

The NeuroHope story was presented at the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) Combined Sections Meeting in Denver, Colorado on February 14th!

Preliminary findings of our ongoing research study were shared at the APTA’s annual summit where thousands of physical therapists and researchers from around the globe gather to share the latest developme nts and practices in the physical therapy world.

It was an exciting opportunity to showcase our unique mission and program.  NeuroHope was created with a model that defies traditional healthcare.  Instead of relying solely on insurance reimbursement and billable hours – we focus on patient access and affordability above everything else.  Maximal recovery from catastrophic injuries depend on this standard of care, but adequate access to therapy, exercise, and expensive rehabilitative technology is difficult for healthcare systems to provide.  The irony: knowledge, science, and rehabilitative technology is advancing, but patient access is declining.

Most people recovering from life-changing spinal cord and brain injuries stop therapy when insurance coverage is depleted, which may only be a few months following injury.  The severity of neurologic injuries, the length of time needed to recover from them, and the lack of long-term quality of life programs in most communities leaves a void in care that NeuroHope was created to address.

Thanks to support from the Indiana Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Fund, NeuroHope has partnered with a research team from the University of Indianapolis to track the long-term outcome measures of patients that have access to NeuroHope’s model of ongoing care.  Since January 2018, patients attending NeuroHope have been evaluated extensively to monitor their motor fuction, physical activities and health-related quality of life during participation in our program. Patients with varying degrees of injuries, ages, and length of time since the injury, all participate in a rigorous 2-hour evaluation that consists of tests that measure neurologic function, balance, range of motion, reach, endurance, and walking,  in addition to surveys to monitor their satisfaction and quality of life.  Tests are repeated every 3 to 6 months to evaluate progress.

Patients are being tracked through the summer of 2020 in order to capture the clearest picture we can, but even now,  preliminary results have shown improvements across most outcomes.   In the coming months, we look forward to sharing complete results over a three-year period to gauge the effect that continued therapy and aggressive exercise  may have for both recent and chronically injured patients recovering from neurologic injury.

Thanks to our supporters and partners, we are making affordable rehabilitation a reality!

https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/apta-full.svg 72 146.9 Chris Leeuw /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svg Chris Leeuw2020-02-21 19:32:592022-09-27 13:59:11NeuroHope Presents at APTA National Conference

2nd Annual “Swing Fore Hope” Raises $24,000!

October 6, 2019/in Annoucements, General Blog Posts/by Chris Leeuw

Major thanks to the 100+ golfers and all sponsors that made the “2019 Swing Fore Hope” charity golf scramble a success! We had a blast at Ironwood Golf Club and raised $24,000 for NeuroHope, which provides long-term rehabilitation and wellness programs for people recovering from neurologic injury.

We have new “Champions of the Cup”: Brad Matthews, Steve Vance, Kevin Vance, and Jon Rolfsen who have 12 months to reign supreme! A special thanks goes to our event sponsors  Hensley Legal Group, PC, Incrediplex, Delta Faucet Company, and Langdon Shaw Associates.

It was a fantastic day made possible by the volunteers that secured our auction items, and the hole sponsors that made the day a success:

The National Bank of Indianapolis, Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine, Sunrise Medical, Circle City Reporting, Bright Ideas of Broadripple, F.C. Tucker (Lannie Thompson), hc1 .com, Indie Asset Partners, Systemax Corporation, BATS Wireless, Rehabilitation Associates of Indiana, Patterson Horth General Contractors, tsAllen Photos, Lynch Harrison & Brumleve Inc., Burger King of Kokomo and Muncie, The George Insurance Agency, Sparenberg Farms, Ben Franklin, The Spickelmier Family, and The Phil and Karen Thomas Family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Swing-Fore-Hope-Champions.jpg 480 640 Chris Leeuw /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svg Chris Leeuw2019-10-06 20:00:492019-10-06 20:00:492nd Annual “Swing Fore Hope” Raises $24,000!

NeuroHope Wins $23,000 as Impact 100 Finalist

June 27, 2019/in Annoucements, General Blog Posts, News/by Chris Leeuw

For the second year in a row NeuroHope is proud to be named the “Health & Wellness” finalist by Impact 100 of Greater Indianapolis! This year our team was honored with a $23,000 check from the women’s giving circle which will directly help fund the services we provide for people living paralysis!

Impact 100 is one of the most competitive grants in the state. Each year five finalists in five categories advance past hundreds of other charities to be recognized as the “Change Maker of the Year” with a $100,000 grant. This year, the grand prize was presented to the Kennedy King Memorial Initiative in the “Arts & Culture” category for their effort to create a new National Monument commemorating Robert F. Kennedy’s famous speech in Indianapolis the night Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot.

There are so many worthwhile charities in our community! It is an honor to be named among them by such a prestigious group that makes an impact across central Indiana each year.

Meanwhile – our fundraising continues! It’s fueled by the inspiring stories we have the privilege to witness at NeuroHope every day. If you missed our recent spotlight video that shows Alex Taylor’s progress over the last 18 months, CHECK IT OUT BELOW! He had a goal to WALK all the way to the arcade at the Incrediplex for a surprise!

We have launched a 12-MONTH goal to raise $100,000 in private fundraising (from donors like YOU) to help offset the cost of the affordable care we provide our patients. Out-of-pocket rates for physical therapy at most healthcare clinics cost $300 – $400 per hour. At NeuroHope we charge $50 to work with therapists / trainers, and rely on fundraising, grants, and corporate / community partnerships to bridge the funding gap. It is a TRUE model of care that puts patients and their families FIRST.

YOU CAN HELP NOW – Donate here!

Through the link above you can quickly make a one-time donation OR be a part of our recurring giving circle, which is a cornerstone of our grassroots campaign. At the site above, just enter your monthly contribution and CLICK the recurring button at checkout. If just 200 of our supporters pledge $25 per month ($300 per year) we are already more than halfway to our goal!

You can also be a part of one of our exciting fundraising events later this year!

MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
-“Swing Fore Hope” Golf Scramble : Monday September 24. We are signing up individual players, foursomes, and are looking for hole & event sponsors!

-Indy Monumental Marathon : Saturday November 9. Join team NeuroHope for the 5K, half-marathon, or full marathon!

Contact us us here for more information!

https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/NeuroHope-Impact100.jpg 399 749 Chris Leeuw /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svg Chris Leeuw2019-06-27 10:43:172019-06-27 10:43:17NeuroHope Wins $23,000 as Impact 100 Finalist

Vote NeuroHope for Indianapolis Colts Cheerleader’s $10,000 Community Challenge!

December 3, 2018/in Annoucements, General Blog Posts, News/by Chris Leeuw

The Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders have launched a “Community Impact Challenge” and NeuroHope needs YOUR VOTE to win a $10,000 grant!

Each member of the Colts cheer squad has picked a charity and a program to support.  NeuroHope is honored to have been selected by Vanessa Wahl, a Greenwood native in her second year with team, who shares our passion to provide affordable rehab for people living with and recovering from paralysis.

Vanessa’s campaign will help NeuroHope fund a re-vamped wellness program and will be a MAJOR boost to our services!  $10,000 comes down to your VOTES! Just a moment of your time can help change lives at NeuroHope.

Click here to vote! Scroll to the very bottom of the page and select “Vanessa – NeuroHope”, and spread the word!

Vote EARLY AND OFTEN! Polls close on December 16, 2018.  The winning project will be announced at the Indianapolis Colts vs New York Giants game on December 23!

https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ColtsCheer.jpg 303 797 Chris Leeuw /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svg Chris Leeuw2018-12-03 09:35:182018-12-03 09:35:18Vote NeuroHope for Indianapolis Colts Cheerleader’s $10,000 Community Challenge!

Epidural Stimulation Study Allows Three More Paralyzed People to Take Steps

November 2, 2018/in Annoucements, General Blog Posts, News/by Chris Leeuw
In September, a breakthough in epidural stimulation research made global headlines.  The New England Journal of Medicine published work from The Spinal Cord Injury Research Center at the University of Louisville, which announced that four paralyzed people regained the ability to walk after being implanted with a stimulation device and undergoing months of physical training.
Read the article here.
Now, a new study published in Nature and Nature Neuroscience has revealed similar results in three more spinal cord injured subjects.
Epidural stimulation involves surgery that implants a set of electrodes directly on to a person’s injured spinal cord.  A power pack is also implanted underneath the person’s skin.  When the device is turned on, the spinal cord is stimulated and messages are sent to the body that bypass the injury.  (Above photo credit: The Guardian)
Dr. Susan Harkema, Director of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation NeuroRecovery Network (NRN), was first behind epidural stimulation 8 years ago that restored function in multiple people with motor complete spinal cord injury.   Over the last several years her research has expanded and major milestones have been met.  First, epidural stimulation provided the ability to stand.  Then, bits of voluntary and task-specific movement were discovered.   Finally, unassisted STEPS took place.
All of these successes were performed in labs, and were combined with an incredible amount of time and repetition, but the results are fascinating, and the knowledge is still in its infancy.
NeuroHope joined the Reeve Foundation NRN earlier this year.  As a result, we are now one of a select number of sites in the world that is using what has been discovered about the unique electrical parameters in the implants, and investigating if it can be translated to Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) over the skin.  NMES is similar to Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES), but uses pre-programmed, task specific activities set at exclusive FDA-approved parameters that are aimed at targeting both the muscle and the circuitry of the spinal cord itself.
It is not yet known if NMES has the ability to promote neurorecovery, but we are proud to begin data collection for the NRN and thankful for the opportunity to offer it in a plan of care for our clients.
https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/stimWalk.jpg 303 797 Chris Leeuw /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svg Chris Leeuw2018-11-02 15:02:472018-11-02 15:09:27Epidural Stimulation Study Allows Three More Paralyzed People to Take Steps

Chris Leeuw Awarded “Rosenbaum Friend of Physical Therapy” from INAPTA

October 2, 2018/in Annoucements, General Blog Posts, News/by Chris Leeuw

NeuroHope Founder and Executive Director Chris Leeuw was presented with the 2018 “William T. Rosenbaum Friend of Physical Therapy” award by the Indiana chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) at Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY on September 22.

From the INAPTA: “The award is presented to honor and recognize the accomplishments of those persons outside our profession who, through their dedicated assistance and support, have promoted our ideals and improved our profession.”

Leeuw was nominated and presented with the award by Donna Peterson, who was recognized as the Schneider PTA of the Year in 2017.  Peterson was Leeuw’s primary therapist during his two month inpatient rehabilitation following his 2010 spinal cord injury.  Five years later, she joined NeuroHope when Leeuw and physical therapist Nora Foster first launched the clinic to provide long-term, affordable therapy for neurologic injuries.

Peterson’s remarks:

“Chris Leeuw’s life changed in an instant when a little over 8 years ago, a perfect late summer day and adventure left him paralyzed from the neck down as a result of a C4-C5 SCI. I had the fortunate pleasure of meeting Chris during the early days of this journey as one of his first physical therapists in acute rehabilitation.  I knew then that Chris, along with his family, had a special drive that the injury and the status quo of the health care system would not contain.

 Fortunately for Chris, he demonstrated early signs that his injury was incomplete and his potential for recovery was great. What he was lacking was time, as insurance was pushing for discharge from acute rehab and the intensive therapy that his injury indicated.  Chris and his family, not taking “no” or “that’s how the system works”, as an answer fought for an alternative and found a program in Utah that offered affordable, long term rehabilitation options. Chris thrived in this environment and was able to make huge strides in his recovery. Upon his return to Indiana, Chris vowed to make a difference and began his quest to develop and provide a similar option in Indiana and change the paradigm of rehabilitation and wellness for individuals affected by and living with paralysis in Indiana.  

That’s how NeruoHope was born. In the months and years that followed, Chris worked tirelessly to fund and open NeuroHope in February 2015, a non-profit outpatient clinic with a mission to provide affordable, activity-based therapy to people living with and recovering from neurologic injury.

In the last few years, not only has Chris opened NeuroHope, but he has been instrumental in changing legislation that allows funding for long term rehabilitation and wellness, promoted awareness of the needs of those with neurological injuries, been a mentor, inspiration and friend to patients and supporters of Neurohope, facilitated the strategic affiliation with the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation NeuroRecovery Network as a one of only 7 Community Fitness and Wellness Centers in the U.S.,  and lead multiple fundraising efforts which have allowed Neurohope to expand to offset the costs in providing services to countless individuals.  On top of that, his most outstanding achievement was hiring me. 

In all seriousness, I have been honored to have the unique opportunity to watch Chris battle his personal physical challenges with SCI, but take an idea and turn it into reality that benefits countless individuals.   I knew early on, that Chris would always look for a new road, a new way, and never stop striving to be the best version of himself.  Chris, through his relentless pursuit of his vision, has provided others with the opportunity to become the best version of themselves and allow them every possible chance for maximum recovery and the best quality of life possible.

I am honored to present Chris Leeuw, my former patient, current boss and long-time friend with the 2018 Bill Rosenbaum Friend of PT Award.”

https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Chris-Leeuw-award.jpg 303 797 Chris Leeuw /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svg Chris Leeuw2018-10-02 14:11:412018-10-02 14:11:41Chris Leeuw Awarded “Rosenbaum Friend of Physical Therapy” from INAPTA
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May 25

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Staff Highlight Video! This week, meet Wellness Coordinator Kendal Baker! Kendal manages NeuroHope’s “Path to Independence” (PTI) Wellness program.  

PTI is a monthly membership separate from physical therapy or personal training sessions, that features daily group cardio classes, circuit training sessions, stretching / massage, and open gym times so clients can workout at NeuroHope on their own. 

Kendal plays a critical role in NeuroHope’s hybrid model of care, which blends physical therapy with exercise and wellness programs for people living with paralysis. Visit NeuroHope any day of the week and you’ll hear her coaching echo through the gym! Check out Kendal’s thoughts on NeuroHope’s unique approach to Neurorecovery:

#spinalcordinjuryrecovery #neurofit #affordablerehab #neurorecoverycenter #nonprofit #healthcare #indy #neurohope #hope #inspiring #beinspired #adaptivefitness #pathtoindependence #spinalcordinjury

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May 18

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It’s amazing what a difference a year can make! 

Today, NeuroHope client Mark Bradley is celebrating one year of recovery from his C-4 spinal cord injury. 

As we know, all recoveries are different. Mark’s recovery from total paralysis to walking is the reason why we are here, to give people access to affordable rehab. We are thankful to be part of Mark’s recovery story. Congratulations Mark, your hard work and resiliency is very inspiring! ♥️ 

#spinalcordinjuryrecovery #neurorecovery  #affordablerehab #neurorecoverycenter #inspiring #beinspired #spinalcordinjury #nonprofit #healthcare #indy #oneyear #neurohope #hope #congrats #congratulations

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May 17

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NeuroHope client Tom is working on his gait speed, step length (kicking the band), and standing posture with assistance from NeuroHope PTA Marshall and PT Tech Hamilton. Keep crushing those goals Tom! 

#cvasurvivor #neurorecovery  #affordablerehab #neurorecoverycenter #inspiring #nonprofit #healthcare #indy #neurohope #hope #strokeswarenessmonth #affordablehealthcare

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May 13

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It was an awesome night with our friends at @conquerparalysisnow and @drivenlv for @sam.schmidt_ ‘s annual “Racing to Recovery” gala.  Raising funds, support, and awareness for paralysis recovery.

Life-changing injuries happen in the blink of an eye.  Discharge from Rehabilitation into a New World happens quickly, but the need for help continues long-term to maximize recovery, stay healthy, and improve quality of life after injury.

This is what everything we do is about: Affordable access to rehabilitation and wellness programs to change lives one injury at a time.

So happy to work with like-minded organizations that recognize the need, and STEP UP to change healthcare. 

#neurorehab #affordablerehab #neurorecovery #spinalcordinjuryrecovery #nonprofit #racingtorecovery

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May 11

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📣 New video series today!  Every other Thursday we will spotlight a NeuroHope team member, client, or caregiver to learn about their role at NeuroHope.
 
We start with Wellness Director, Bart Richwalski, who has been serving NeuroHope’s community for six years. Bart leads our team of Master’s level kinesiologists (Neurorecovery Exercise Specialists) that exemplify how the NeuroHope model is unique. Our wellness team works in cohesion with our physical therapy team to provide a seamless transition from clinical care to affordable personal training, fitness and wellness programs.  Bart has helped develop a program that has helped hundreds of people on their recovery journey. Bart’s story: 

#spinalcordinjuryrecovery  #affordablerehab #neurorecoverycenter #nonprofit #healthcare #indy #neurohope #hope #inspiring #beinspired #spinalcordinjury

neurohope

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May 9

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Juan is pushing hard and crushing his fitness goals. James is pushing hard with help from Barry and our Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulator. Sam and Isaiah are pushing it in NeuroFit with Kendal! Keep pushing, you’re all doing great! ♥️

#neurohope #affordablerehab #neurorehab #neurofit #pushit #keeppushing #wellness #neurorecovery #pathtoindependence #neurorecoverynetwork

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May 5

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On the first Friday of every month, we host a community group of rotating activities and topics. This month, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, our PTA Lydia and NeuroHope client Jenny hosted, “Peaceful Minds and Green Thumbs.” 

Jenny shared great mental health resources on combatting stress and anxiety. After the group discussion, Jenny’s sister, Beth, helped participants plant starter planters for an herb garden. Gardening is a wonderful stress reliever! Thanks to our organizers and participants for making this a fun and relaxing First Friday! 

#neurohop #neurorecovery #affordablehealthcare #NAMI #affordablerehab #may #stressrelief  #mindfulness #firstfriday #tgif #support #herbgarden #gardening #neurorecoverynetwork #mentalhealthawarenessmonth

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May 1

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Here’s more from our adventures at @bradford.woods this weekend! Thank you to everyone who made this outing a tremendous success! It was a great day! 💚

#neurohope #bradfordwoods #adaptivesports #greatoutdoors #hiking #fishing #archery #boating #canoeing #indianaweather #neurorecovery #neurorecoverynetwork #itsgonnabemay

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Apr 30

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NeuroHope community retreat at @bradford.woods this weekend!  We loved the time outdoors for adaptive zip lining, archery, and time on the water.

Thank you Bradford Woods for hosting more than 50 participants from the NeuroHope community.  We had a blast !

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Apr 21

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#TGIF It’s raining here at NeuroHope in Indianapolis, but we’re walking on sunshine! Have a great Friday! 

#NeuroHope #neurorecovery #affordablerehab #affordablehealthcare #spinalcordinjury #indy #rainyday #walkingonsunshine #sci #friday #makeyourownsunshine

neurohope

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Apr 19

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Recovery from paralysis is a process that takes time, access, and a community of support. 
 
NeuroHope was created to make long-term therapy an affordable reality. 
 
Watch our story and be inspired…this is why we’re here!

#spinalcordinjuryrecovery #neurorecovery  #affordablerehab #neurorecoverycenter #inspiring #beinspired #spinalcordinjury #nonprofit #healthcare #indy #neurohope #hope

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Apr 17

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🎬 Check out some behind the scenes sneak peeks of our recent video shoot. 

Stay tuned…we’re releasing NeuroHope’s new promo video this week!

#neurohope #hope
#nonprofit #healthcare #affordablerehab #indy #spinalcordrehab #neurorecovery #ourstory

neurohope

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Apr 14

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Calling Physical Therapists! We seek a high-energy PT who is passionate about changing the lives of people battling paralysis.

Join our growing team!! Click the link in our bio , and enter “PT” in the subject line!
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#physicaltherapy #neuropt #neurorecovery #choosept #affordablerehab #healthcare #indy

neurohope

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Apr 11

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April is Occupational Therapy Month! 🎉
 
We are so grateful for our OT’s at NeuroHope and beyond! OT’s play a vital and meaningful role in the #Neurorecovery process! Thanks for all you do! ♥️

#neurohope #affordablerehab #neurorehabilitation #otmonth #occupationaltherapy #otstudent #occupationaltherapymonth

neurohope

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Apr 7

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On the first Friday of every month, we host a community group of rotating activities and topics. This month our interns, Andrew and Hamilton, lead a mindfulness and adaptive yoga class with the guidance of local yogi and NeuroHope client and @thehotroomyoga ‘s @laura.burdick10 . We feel so rejuvenated and relaxed! Namaste 🪷

#neurohop #neurorecovery #affordablehealthcare #yoga #affordablerehab #addaptiveyoga #mindfulness #firstfriday #tgif #namaste #neurorecoverynetwork

neurohope

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Apr 7

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First Friday: Mindfulness & Yoga Class 🪷 

#namaste #neurorecovery #affordablehealthcare #affordablerehab #yoga #otmonth #adaptiveyoga

neurohope

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Apr 4

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doing things 💪 #neurohope #affordablerehab #neurorecovery #spinalcordrehab

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Mar 31

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On a summer afternoon in 2019, Chuck Knox fell down his stairs and suffered a life-changing incomplete #spinalcordinjury.

Told 3 months after his accident, he had plateaued in his recovery…Chuck never gave up hope …or EFFORT.  He has been a regular in our PT, OT, and exercise programs for more than 3 years …and today , he walks in and out of NeuroHope with confidence and continues to work hard to improve strength and quality post injury 💪💪.

We are honored to be part of Chuck’s recovery.  Read his STORY by Neurorecovery Exercise Specialist Barry Moore through the link in our IG STORY!!
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#walkingafterspinalcordinjury #neurorecovery #sci #AffordableRehab #inspiringrecovery

neurohope

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Mar 28

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Thrilled to welcome Occupational Therapist Krista Kaufman & Advancement Director Jacqui Goldstein to the NeuroHope Team!!

Krista comes to us from Community Rehabilitation Hospital South, where, as a Saebo Certified Clinician, she specializes in treating patients with upper extremity #paralysis.  Her passion for neurorecovery is rooted in her own lived experience of stroke recovery.
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Jacqui joins NeuroHope as Advancement Director after serving Indy’s healthcare and social work community since 2004 in non-profit communications and outreach.

WELCOME ABOARD KRISTA & JACQUI!! We’re thankful you’re here to help us grow!
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#nonprofit #healthcare #indy

neurohope

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Mar 23

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Yesterday we were presented with an $80,000 donation through @barnraisers by Erin Habel, the Habel Family and NeuroHope Board Member Drew Poston of @compass_construction to honor the life of Andrew Habel and the legacy he leaves.

We are continually in awe of the community that supports the work we do to better the lives of people living with and recovering from paralysis, and are eternally grateful for program changing support like this.

The Habel wall at NeuroHope will forever honor Andrew , and be a reminder for the lives this gift will serve!!!
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#habelfest #nonprofit #fundraising #indy #healthcare #

neurohope

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Mar 14

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#SpinalCordInjury recovery is a team effort💪. Caleb in a Locomotor Training treadmill session with the NeuroHope team. Step by step we’re here for you.  #keeppushing #AffordableRehab #spinalcordinjuryrecovery
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6002 Sunnyside Rd.
Indianapolis, IN 46236

Located In The Concrete
Building Attached To The US
Lumber Warehouse

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Phone: 317-525-8386

Fax: 844-556-4672

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NeuroHope is a 501(c)3 non-profit that provides long-term physical rehabilitation and wellness following neurologic injury.   TIN: 46-1842276

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