August 2008 | United Spinal’s Action Online Magazine

Jonathan’s Dream: It’s All About Inclusion

Boundless PlaygroundsÂ® give children of all abilities a place to play and learn together.

By Tom Scott

Shouldn’t playgrounds be for everyone? That’s a question Amy Jaffe Barzach and her husband Peter had asked as they sought a meaningful way to honor the memory of their nine-month-old son Jonathan who had passed away in 1996 after being diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, a rare motor neuron disease that affects one in 6,000 births and causes severe muscle weakness.

“We had met with a hospice counselor who asked us to think of something we can do in memory of our son,” Amy says. [...]

Free Falling with Kim Walters

The sky is no limit for United Spinal member Kim Walters as she goes from spinal cord rehab to [...]

2008 Kids Sports Spectacular A Spectacular Hit

The 2008 Kids Sports Spectacular was a truly spectacular event. Over 160 participants came together to make this a special day that one child called “One of the best days in my life.”

Read the entire story and view the heartwarming event slideshow.
Click here for story and slideshow.

Diabetes and Spinal Cord Injury

People with spinal cord disorders are more prone than most to developing type 2 diabetes. But the condition can be managed. Find out [...]

Weight Management in Spinal Cord Injury

Managing weight can be tough for people with spinal cord injuries. Here’s a quick guide to getting a handle on those [...]

A Man, A Van, A Chair

52 year old quadriplegic gets an independence boost as form meets function when a van, a man, and a new wheelchair come [...]

Accessing History in NYC

Historic Governor’s Island in New York Harbor is now open to the public-and a lot is accessible to everyone.

By William Clarke

Before I even knew I had multiple sclerosis, I worked as a futures trader in an office high above the city streets that had a fantastic view of lower Manhattan. I usually didn’t pay much attention to it. But sometimes I would stare at Governor’s Island, a mysterious piece of land owned by the federal government that once served as a military base and then became a Coast Guard station and wonder what it was like. Long ago, the island [...]

SCI on Film: Quid Pro Quo

A psychological thriller explores the subculture of people who “wannabe” disabled.

By Amy Meisner Threet, MSW

Quid Pro Quo, a new film that opens in select cities this summer, explores a dark side of the disabled world. It’s not a true story, exactly, but it’s not totally fiction, either. In writer-director Carlos Brooks’ debut feature, the fetish world of “wannabes” is exposed. These are non-disabled people who are obsessed with disability to the point, in extreme cases, where they look on the internet for surgeons to perform elective amputations. Less severe physically, yet as injurious psychologically, perhaps, are those who choose to [...]

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