From 64 charities to the FINAL FOUR, and we are still standing! When this “competition” began last month, we thought it was a long shot to get this far. WHY UNDERESTIMATE OUR SUPPORTERS?
You guys are awesome. We have raised $30,000 so far and are just one week away from a potential $10,000 champion bonus!
https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/bfgwish.jpg361639Chris Leeuw/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svgChris Leeuw2017-03-27 08:19:332017-03-27 08:19:33NeuroHope Makes ‘Brackets For Good’ Final Four!
A veteran of the Pike Township Fire Department and the War in Afghanistan, in June of 2015, John Piper suffered a life changing spinal cord injury in a motorcycle crash. His journey from the ICU to inpatient and outpatient rehab, to extended rehab at Frazier Rehabilitation Institute and NeuroHope is an inspiring one.
Recovering from neurologic injury is a physical, mental, and emotional battle. The determination John shows each day is moving.
THIS is what it’s all about everyone!
https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Piper-1.jpg350960Chris Leeuw/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svgChris Leeuw2017-03-21 20:46:522017-03-21 20:46:52Client Spotlight: John Piper
Goodman Campbell Brain and Spine, one of the largest and most trusted neurosurgery practices in the country, has teamed with NeuroHope in the 2017 Brackets For Good fundraising tournament!
Their endorsement of our mission is especially important to me personally. Their practice has treated thousands of patients at 16 locations across Indiana, and each has placed total trust in Goodman Campbell’s standard of care during the most frightening time in their life. One of those patients was me.
At 9:00 PM on Sunday, August 8th 2010, I was laying in an ICUparalyzed from the neck down.
Hours earlier, a man inadvertently landed on my head as we jumped into a river near Edinburgh, Indiana. Four vertebrae in my neck were fractured and my spinal cord was crushed. I never lost consciousness. I never even felt a twinge of pain. I was clear-headed as my body was dragged to the beach, and completely lucid during the wait for paramedics and for the helicopter flight to downtown Indianapolis. I remember being wheeled through the hospital and into my MRI scan as if it happened yesterday.
When the whirlwind of the first few hours was over, I found myself staring at the ceiling tiles of Methodist Hospital trying process what had happened. I knew nothing about spinal cord injury and I had no way to comprehend the lengthy rehabilitation process that was in front of me. At the time, I only wanted to know what was supposed to happen next.
Dr. Saad Khairi, a top neurosurgeon at Goodman Campbell, dropped what he was doing that night and rushed to Methodist Hospital when he received the call. My mother was in the ICU with me when he walked through the door. He told us that my neck had to be stabilized and that my C2 through C6 vertebrae had to be fused immediately. Receiving news like that is a lot to handle.
How long until I go under? Do I ask for a second opinion? Am I even at the right hospital? Who is this surgeon that will have my life in his hands?
In a matter of minutes we were on the phone asking three separate people in the healthcare world for advice. Each said the same thing. We were in the right place and Dr. Khairi was the surgeon to have. Within an hour the fusion was underway.
The next several days were the most challenging – physically and mentally – of my life. Immediately after surgery, I needed a ventilator to breath. My lungs were filled with secretions and I had to learn how to breathe again before I could even think about the rest of my paralyzed body. As the days passed, I began to experience what life as a quadriplegic would entail. Therapists ranged my limbs, nurses re-positioned my body every two hours, and a team of people attended to everything I needed from feeding, to shaving, to bathing. As reality set in, I needed to know every detail about my injury, and my chance of recovery.
I flagged down Dr. Khairi whenever I could, and he stood at my side to answer every question I had. He empathized with me and I could tell he wanted to educate me on my injury. Two days after surgery, I could flex a single muscle in my thigh and I had spotty sensation in my extremities. Dr. Khairi said that meant signals from my brain were making their way (in some capacity) down my injured spinal cord. It was my first lesson in neurorecovery, and my first glimmer of hope.
A week later he came to my bed as I was being discharged to the rehabilitation hospital. Once again, I wanted to know what to expect. Every spinal cord injured individual asks the same question when they are hurt: “Will I walk again?” In the immediate aftermath of the injury, we’re naive to the complexities of the injury and the magnitude of the struggle ahead. We don’t understand normalized blood pressure, a neurogenic bladder, or muscle spasticity. Our minds jump right to the big picture – walking.
Dr. Khairi calmly said that he couldn’t give me an answer. My injury was severe and the odds were against it, but he told me, “Kick your tail in rehab, and we’ll see where you are in a year”.
It was the most exhausting year of my life. I spent two months at a rehab hospital, four months at a nursing home, and six more months at an outpatient clinic across the country. Finally, in August of 2011, I wheeled into Goodman Campbell for a one-year check-up. With my wheelchair parked in the lobby, I rose to my feet and walked into Dr. Khairi’s office to let him know I took his advice.
“Every once in awhile, I have a rock-star patient that blows the doors off the statistics,” he said.
The appointment didn’t need to be long. It was a check-up to make sure that my spinal fusion had healed properly. But, I had learned a lot about spinal cord injury and the recovery process, and I had a laundry list of new questions to ask. Once again, he took the time to answer every one. He pulled out a tablet and showed me detailed images of the fusion, and even took the time to dig up my original MRI and X-ray from the day of the accident.
In 2011, my rehab was far from over. I continued aggressive therapy for another year. Even today, my daily routine revolves around combating my disability. But, Dr. Khairi and Goodman Campbell played an integral role in my recovery and my early education after a life-altering event. They supported me, and I’m honored that they support the “rock-star” patients at NeuroHope as well.
https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/GoodmanSponsor.jpg350960Chris Leeuw/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svgChris Leeuw2017-03-13 22:28:532017-03-28 22:06:19Goodman Campbell Sponsors Our ‘Brackets For Good’ Campaign: Why It Matters To Me
The physical therapy team at NeuroHope has been named “Top Honoree” for Community Achievement at the 2017 Health Care Heroes Awards!
The annual event, presented by the Indianapolis Business Journal, took place during an elegant breakfast at the Conrad Hilton to recognize doctors, hospitals, community programs, and volunteers who are devoted to bettering health care in Indiana. NeuroHope was humbled to be among the nominees, and honored to take home the top prize in Community Achievement.
Read the article in the Indianapolis Business Journal here!
Director of Therapy Nora Foster accepted the award, flanked at the podium by her amazing team of Sara Sale and Donna Peterson. These ladies are the heart and sole of NeuroHope. Two years ago, they took a leap of faith to join me in a daunting task. As highly trained therapists in neurologic injury, they recognized a void in care in the healthcare landscape, and from a purely altruistic motive, decided to help address it. Their effort has led to the creation of a clinic where injured individuals can continue affordable physical therapy and wellness programs to maximize their recovery process and improve long-term quality of life.
Every clinic revolves around the standard of care it provides its patients. That standard begins and ends with the knowledge, skill, and compassion its clinicians provide. There is no team of therapists I would rather have leading NeuroHope than Nora, Donna and Sara. I witness their work every day, and I’ve experienced it first hand. For me, it’s personal.
Donna and Sara were two of the first therapists that worked with me following my spinal cord injury 7 years ago. Paralyzed from the neck down, I was admitted to the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana two weeks after my injury to begin the grueling recovery process. Donna was assigned to my case. I knew nothing about spinal cord injury. I knew nothing about the complications my body was experiencing, and I was completely in the dark about my chances for recovery. I was a floating head on a pillow with no concept of the journey that lay ahead.
Inpatient therapists are tasked with a difficult role. Doctors slam their patients with a whirlwind of information and a glimpse of their diagnosis, but therapists are on the front lines to pick up the pieces. They are the first clinicians to spend extensive time and offer hope to injured individuals. Their job is to implement a physical recovery plan, but they unwittingly become counselors, teachers, and mentors as well.
Donna was with me every day for the first eight weeks of the most trying period of my life. Sara participated in a few of my early sessions as well. At a time when therapy was spent ranging my limbs, and contracting a single muscle was a major victory, they pushed me, educated me, and took the time to answer every question I had about my injury. Most importantly, they cared deeply about my progress. They were on the journey with me. Seven years later we are on a remarkable journey again.
Nora gives the same devotion to each and every one of her patients. It is a pleasure to watch her work, and an honor to have her leading the services at NeuroHope. When I met her three years ago, NeuroHope was only an idea. The vision was planted in my head, but without the right clinician, the roots of NeuroHope would never take hold. I needed a therapist skilled and passionate about neurologic recovery, with the “fire-in-the-belly” to help will NeuroHope into existence. I’m honored to have found her.
I can not imagine three individuals more deserving of their “Hero” recognition. Not just for their role in creating NeuroHope, but for the lives they have touched throughout their entire careers.
https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/healthcareHeroes.jpg350960Chris Leeuw/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svgChris Leeuw2017-03-05 15:45:512017-03-05 15:45:51NeuroHope Wins 2017 “Health Care Heroes” Award
NeuroHope has been selected to participate in the 2017 Brackets For Good fundraising tournament!
This is the only “sport” for nonprofits and anyone can join our team to help us win a $10,000 grand prize! Modeled after the March Madness NCAA basketball tournament, 64 charities compete in weekly head-to-head fundraising match-ups. The winners advance all the way to the championship.
It starts Friday, February 24th!
Check out Chris at the Indianapolis bracket release pep rally, and learn about the tournament:
Each round lasts one week. Once the tournament begins anyone can follow the real-time scoreboard, view the bracket, and donate online through the link below. You can also donate easily by TEXTING “NeuroHope” to 27722.
So, stay tuned throughout the tournament! Follow our updates on Facebook and Twitter, and share them all so we can spread the word!
https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/BFG_blog.jpg350960Chris Leeuw/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svgChris Leeuw2017-02-15 17:31:342017-03-28 22:06:47Help Us Win $10K in Brackets For Good!
The physical therapy team at NeuroHope has been selected as one of three nominees in “Community Achievement” for the Indianapolis Business Journal’s 2017 Health Care Heroes Award!
NeuroHope was created three years ago because of a simple realization: Many patients recovering from neurologic injury are discharged from rehabilitation too soon with no place to continue their recovery. Insurance caps therapy coverage after only a few months and traditional healthcare clinics are unable to continue treatment at an affordable out-of-pocket rate.
NeuroHope’s Director of Therapy, Nora Foster (DPT), and her team of Donna Peterson (PTA) and Sara Sale (DPT) have embarked on a path to fill this void in care. From a purely altruistic motive, and with no experience in healthcare administration, they became devoted to creating a clinic that operates beyond traditional, insurance-based services.
NeuroHope integrates insurance visits with extremely discounted private-pay rates in order to provide patients with long-term care. This involves combining aggressive therapy with wellness goals to maximize recovery and improve quality of life.
In two short years, NeuroHope’s vision has proven successful. The team has created a non-profit outpatient healthcare clinic from scratch, become credentialed with Medicare/Medicaid and commercial insurance, and works with the Krannert School of Physical Therapy at the University of Indianapolis to provide students with Internship and volunteer opportunities. NeuroHope’s patient-centric model was also the catalyst behind a 2015 change in Indiana law to help fund long-term rehabilitation programs.
Most importantly, Nora and her team have helped 36 patients, ranging from spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and cerebral palsy on along their road to recovery.
This recognition is well-deserved for Nora, Sara, and Donna. Not only for the work they have done to launch NeuroHope, but for the devotion they have shown to all of their patients over the their entire careers.
The 2017 Health Care Heroes Awards will be presented at a special IBJ breakfast at the Hilton Conrad on Friday, March 3rd.
https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/ibj_header.gif402943Chris Leeuw/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svgChris Leeuw2017-01-26 11:04:152017-01-26 11:04:15NeuroHope Nominated for 2017 Health Care Heroes Award
The staff, volunteers, patients, and families of NeuroHope would like to wish YOU a Happy Holiday season, and a prosperous 2017!! We are rapidly approaching our two-year anniversary, and have our supporters to thank for their interest in making the NeuroHope vision of providing affordable, extended care for individuals living with paralysis a reality.
2016 proved to be an exciting year of growth. Over the last 12 months, NeuroHope has become a credentialed outpatient clinic with Medicare/Medicaid and private insurance, moved to a larger space in Fountain Square (through the generosity of the UIndy Krannert School of Physical Therapy), and increased our operating hours to serve more people on our waitlist.
Here are some numbers we are proud to share!
Since we opened in February 2015, we have helped 36 patients with issues ranging from spinal cord injury, brain injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, to cerebral palsy on the road to recovery.
We have seen 30 different patients/clients this year, totaling 679 unique visits
We are currently seeing 20 clients regularly. Many come in before and after their visits to utilize the specialized Electrical Stimulation cycle we offer at no extra cost.
Thanks to two fundraising events this fall, and a generous grant from the OrthoIndy Foundation, we raised more than $50,000 since September to ensure our services remain strong in 2017.
Will you continue support in 2017?
We are thrilled to be one of the charities chosen for 2017 Brackets For Good giving competition! This is a friendly tournament-of-sorts in which non-profits raise money in unison with the March Madness basketball tournament. A $10,000 grand prize is on the line. That means we will be calling on YOU for support this spring to be an integral part of our campaign. Stay tuned!!
Patient Story
Finally, I would like to leave you with a testimonial from the daughter of a patient who has made incredible strides at NeuroHope over the last few months. This is one story of many that exemplifies the reason we exist. We hope you are proud to be a part of it!
“The therapists at NeuroHope have made a great impact on the life of my Mom and my family. My Mom, JoAnn, suffered a spinal cord injury in June at the age of 80. In July, inpatient rehab ended and outpatient therapy began, however due to insurance caps outpatient therapy was only covered twice a week and would be depleted by October. My Mom was getting stronger and her goal was to walk again but how was she going to do this with such little therapy that would end by October?
I reached out to NeuroHope in August attempting to find my Mom a better chance for recovery at a private pay rate that could be afforded.
What I have discovered is that the therapists at NeuroHope bridge the gap for patients like my Mom who are making great progress but insurance no longer will cover therapy. From the first evaluation with Nora, my Mom said her goal was to walk by Christmas. Nora was so compassionate, and the empathy that she showed both my Mom and Dad during those first sessions in physical therapy was so greatly appreciated. The team of therapists, Nora, Sara, Donna, and Wendy have provided my Mom which such excellent specialized care.
On October 31st Donna brought the rolling walker out and said “let’s try the walker”. I was so happy I was there that day to witness my Mom walking for the first time with a rolling walker. It meant the world to my family to see my Mom taking those first steps towards her goal.
I can’t even put in to words what the NeuroHope therapists have meant to my Mom and family. They have given my Mom a chance for a better recovery and hope for a better quality of life. I feel the therapists at NeuroHope do what they do because they truly care about the lives of their patients. I would like to thank the therapists at NeuroHope for their knowledge, compassion, and desire to help those who have had serious neurological injuries reach their goals!”
True to her promise to “walk by Christmas”, JoAnn returned to her Doctor’s office last week to a ROUND OF APPLAUSE!! It has been a joy to watch JoAnn’s progress, and we are honored to be a part of her journey!
Merry Christmas everyone, and cheers to a prosperous 2016!
https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/holidayHeader.jpg350960Chris Leeuw/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svgChris Leeuw2016-12-20 13:32:022016-12-20 13:32:02Happy Holidays! A 2016 Update!
I’m thrilled to announce that NeuroHope is the recipient of a $36,000 program grant from the OrthoIndy and Indiana Orthopedic Hospital Foundation! This generous gift is made possibly by the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF). We are honored to have their support!
The OrthoIndy Foundation was created in 2012 with a mission to improve mobility and function for residents of Central Indiana. The Foundation supports local programs that work specifically to increase self-sufficiency, promote wellness, and improve the quality of life for individuals in need.
NeuroHope centers its program on providing supplemental physical therapy services for individuals living with and recovering from neurologic injury. Most patients attend NeuroHope because their insurance coverage has been capped. These individuals need extended therapy and more time with specialists to work on goals that maximize recovery and improve their quality of life. NeuroHope offers drastically discounted private-pay rates so that individuals have an affordable option to continue the care they need.
This award from the OrthoIndy Foundation helps fund the supplementary care we provide, and will ensure our program remains strong in 2017!
https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/OI_Foundation_HOR_206_432-1.jpg3751350Chris Leeuw/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svgChris Leeuw2016-11-28 15:32:382016-11-28 15:32:38NeuroHope Awarded $36,000 Grant from OrthoIndy Foundation!
For the second straight year, Team NeuroHope ROCKED IT at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon!
We set up shop with a tent at the finish line to join in the race festivities, and our team of 24 runners / walkers and 16 volunteers had a blast in the process.
The numbers are in!
A grand total of $7,850 from 136 donors was raised for NeuroHope. Every dollar will directly fund the supplementary care we provide our clients on their road to recovery.
A special thanks goes out to this year’s fundraising team, and each and every one of their supporters. Let’s do it again next year!
Team NeuroHope 2016:
Charle Baer, Melanie Brown, Samantha Burgess, Carol Campbell, Justin Davis, Marita Ducanes, Renee Edwards, Rhonda Fishel, Nora Foster, Christina Freund, Georgine Getty, Lynette Goodwin, Sarah Harnish, Joella Hedge, Cindy Huffman, Dave Huffman, Monica Huffman, Allison Leeuw, Gene Leeuw, Monice Leeuw, John Moehring, Kelson Moran, Farah Nasser, Beth Overmyer, Andrea Palmquist, Annette Perry, Chris Perry, Sophie Perry, Donna Peterson, Dillon Rosing, Cathy Rudy, Dave Rudy, Jessica Wenclewicz, Markus Wilds, Julie Wojtaszek
https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/monumental2016.jpg350960Chris Leeuw/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svgChris Leeuw2016-11-12 16:40:332016-11-12 16:40:33Team NeuroHope at the 2016 Monumental Marathon
In 2013, Aika Yoshida (an orthopedic physical therapist) suffered an incomplete spinal cord injury that initially left her paralyzed with an uncertain future. Aika’s remarkable recovery led her to walk – yes, walk – a portion of last year’s Indianapolis Monumental Marathon with Team NeuroHope.
An athlete. A fighter. A motivator.
Aika shares her story below, and inspires EVERY ONE OF US!
Celebrating Today
You love to run. What would you do if you suddenly lost that ability? It’s human nature to wish for something more instead of celebrating what we already have.
On July 28, 2013, my life changed forever. I had an accident practicing acrobatic yoga, which resulted in a C6 incomplete spinal cord injury. Initially, I was paralyzed from the neck down and I was hospitalized for 1 month. I had to learn my new body and hope to regain some mobility. I always considered myself an athlete: a marathon runner, rock climber, mountain biker, and snowboarder. Not only did I loose my identity as an athlete, but I also thought I lost my career as an outpatient orthopedic physical therapist. In the past, running was one way to manage my stress. I felt completely lost and didn’t know how to cope with the new life that I was suddenly forced to face. My role has completely flipped, as I became a patient to receive therapy instead of providing therapy.
With help from numerous outstanding health care providers, generous support from friends and co-workers, my stubbornness/determination and some luck, I regained the ability to walk. I also returned to climbing as an adaptive climber with help from the non-profit organization called Paradox Sports based in Boulder, CO. Through this experience, I realized that I am still the same person who loves physical activities and has the heart of an athlete despite my disability. I felt a tremendous accomplishment when I first walked 1 mile on my own which took me nearly 30 minutes. Over the next 2 years, I kept increasing my speed and duration of walking just like how I used to train for marathons.
Twenty-eight months after my injury, I stood on a starting line to walk 13.1 miles using my carbon fiber leg brace and 2 walking sticks at the Monumental Half Marathon with my former inpatient rehab physical therapist, Nora Foster and co-worker, Ray Varner. This was a big challenge for me physically but also mentally to face many runners while reminding myself that I no longer have the ability to run in the process. I chose this race because I wanted to celebrate my recovery but also wanted to raise money and be part of Team NeuroHope where Nora now works providing therapy to those with injuries similar to my own. NeuroHope is an innovative physical therapy clinic in Indianapolis. Chris Leeuw, also a spinal cord injury survivor founded this clinic to provide long-term rehabilitation and wellness following neurologic injury. As a physical therapist myself, I understand the importance of long-term rehab, health and wellness, but unfortunately, many patients cannot afford the service due to financial limitations and/or insurance restrictions. We are also lacking places and groups for individuals like Chris and myself to be a part of after discharge from initial rehab. I am excited to announce that Team NeuroHope raised over $8,000 in 2015 with support of many generous donors, which allowed the clinic to purchase new equipment.
Crossing the 13.1 mile-finish line on my own two feet with my formal therapist and co-worker had a bigger impact on my life than past full marathons I’ve completed. I still love challenges as an athlete, however, my obstacles and goals are now just different. It’s important to focus on my current ability instead of my disability, so I can enjoy my new challenges. To promote mental and physical health to all people, I’ve used my journey as an opportunity to start Indy’s first adaptive climbing club to share my love of activities and to promote health and wellness with people with physical (dis)abilities.
Everyone faces adversity, whether it is apparent or not. The best thing I’ve learned through this journey is to focus on this present moment and to celebrate today.
Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.
-Aika Yoshida
On November 5th, Team NeuroHope will be lining up again at the 2016 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon in! Learn more about our team members and pledge your support to their run here!
https://www.neurohopewellness.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Aika_blog.jpg350960Chris Leeuw/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NeuroHope_Color.svgChris Leeuw2016-10-27 11:55:522016-10-27 11:55:52Aika’s Story: From Paralysis to Walking The Monumental Marathon