John's Grand Dam Escapade
Proves Power of Therapy
Weary and hot, John and faithful friend Sadie
after their trek across Grand Coulee Dam June 17, 2000
(Does that sign mean "NO DOGS"? So who's a dog?)
| When you're recovering from a stroke, especially
one that results in Locked-In-Syndrome, it seems as if progress comes only an inch at a
time. Sometimes just fractions of an inch. After six-and-a-half years of therapy, John had recovered a lot. But to the inexperienced observer, it may not have appeared so. He needed something really big to affirm his achievements to himself and to others. He also wanted to send a message about the power of therapy. Grand Coulee Dam is about the biggest thing around in our part of the country. John set for himself the goal of driving his battery-powered wheelchair across the width of the dam – exactly one mile. He reached that goal June 17, 2000, accompanied by a parade of friends, family and well-wishers. There were about 50 of us walking along with John atop the nation's largest dam under a blazing afternoon sun. And there was one other wheel chair, driven by the late Wayne Wilson, who had both legs amputated. Wayne had read in the Grand Coulee Star about John's plans and decided to join in. "This seemed like the place to be," he said. His was a hand-powered wheelchair. He politely but firmly declined all offers of help, pushing his own chair the distance. John and Wayne, though they hadn't known each other, nonetheless had someone in common. They both had been clients of occupational therapist David Boman. David helped prepare John for the cross-dam trek and accompanied him. Why was driving a mile such a big deal? When John first began therapy, he had virtually no movement other than to raise or lower his eyebrows. He was determined to drive his own wheelchair. He began with scanning devices triggered by the slightest head movement. The first time he moved his chair a mere 10 feet was cause for great celebration. But John didn't like operating a chair with his head. He wanted to drive with his hands. It took years of weekly therapy to develop enough strength in his right hand to operate a joystick that David modified to fit John's hand. That was the biggest message John wanted to get across. People can achieve amazing recoveries with the help of consistent therapy. A great deal of attention is given to the need for prescription drug benefits for the elderly. Too little attention is given to therapy, which can change lives. With rising health care costs, therapy is too often the first benefit to get reduced or cut. We were pleased that John's day at the dam received national news coverage. (Of course it helps that many of our friends are in the news business and a few newspaper publishers and editors were in the crowd that day.) Since then, John has continued to recover in other ways. He is making progress with his efforts to talk again. Being able to say a full sentence is another big goal – as big as driving across Grand Coulee Dam. And, we believe, as achievable. Meanwhile, John made clear his feelings about therapy by blinking out this message: "Without therapy, I am lost." |
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