Rehabilitation Reimagined

(Almost) 10 year old Bridget and her mom, Jamie, long time fundraisers for St. Jude's Children's Research Center discuss how they found themselves traveling to the renowned hospital after Bridget was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, a cancer of the bone, at 6 years old.

What began as a seemingly innocent kick to the shin during a soccer game ignited an unforeseen fight for life, limb and a life cancer-free.

In this episode you will hear about what it was like for both Bridget and her family to learn about her diagnosis, what factors played into their decision to choose St. Jude's for her medical care, the day they learned amputation was the only option to cure Bridget's cancer and how even several years later, they are still dealing with the far reaching effects of chemotherapy and amputation. They use their social media presence as a way to support and give hope to others going through a similar situation.

What strength and tenacity Bridget brings to her ongoing recovery and rehabilitation Jamie matches in her role as mom and advocate for Bridget. There is much to learn from their story whether you are going through a similar experience or have the privilege to support a family like their's in your professional role

Drew Clayborn is a motivational speaker, director of the Drew Crew Charitable Organization, host of his own Podcast called “Excuse my language, But...” and the self-proclaimed healthiest complete quadriplegic.

After sustaining a high cervical complete spinal cord injury as a high school student Drew has spent the last 10 years learning to navigate this new way of living both focusing on enjoying the moment and doing everything he can to preserve the health of his body so that one day, if scientific progress allows it, he can learn to walk again.

I first came across Drew on his Instagram page where he shares a lot about his life living with Quadriplegia. When he reached out to me about being a guest on the show I jumped at the chance to get to know him and help spread the word about some of the great work he has been doing in his community. On this episode we talk about what it takes to maintain a healthy body after a spinal cord injury, what therapists can do to support their clients throughout their recovery and much more. Drew is an advocate for his community and you can learn more about all the ways you can access his content, get in touch with him and support his charitable organization!

Lea Bertoni, Occupational Therapist and Certified Driving Rehab Specialist from Driving to Independence, a driving evaluation and training program based in Arizona and New Mexico talks all about getting back out onto the road (or onto the road for the first time!). Certified Driving Rehab Specialists are trained to provide both clinical and behind-the-wheel driving assessments that can determine when a driver is safe to get back out on the road and provide recommendations for a wide variety of adaptive driving equipment to make driving a safe reality for many more people. 

Today's guest is Brett Heising, CEO of brettapproved, Incorporated, home to brettapproved.com, a travel and lifestyle website for anyone with a physical disability or mobility challenge who wants to travel confidently .

In this podcast we discuss the personal challenges and frustrations that inspired Brett to start brettapproved incorporated and to develop a website where community members around the world and country contribute reviews about the accessibility of restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues. Travel, Brett reminds us, is not a luxury but a human right and beyond helping people with disabilities and mobility challenges prepare for and plan travel both within and outside their communities Brett and I discuss the far-reaching implications that lack of accessibility has on employment, advancement and social mobility for persons with disabilities and he shares with us how he continues to take an active role in advocating for better experiences for travelers with disabilities and reduced mobility in the transportation and hospitality industry and beyond.

McKenzie Uber is a licensed Speech Language Pathologist based in Arizona. She graduated with a MS in Communications Disorders from Texas State University. McKenzie has experience working with the pediatric and adult populations in a variety of clinical settings.

In this episode we talk about the five main areas that a SLP addresses (hint, its about more than just talking!). We discuss treatment and assessment strategies and talk about who can benefit from a consultation with a SLP. Finally, we address the social and emotional implications of having a speech and language impairment and how clinicians, community and family members can best support these individuals.

Think you have to attend medical school to understand the basics of Neuroanatomy? Think again!

Listen to this episode to learn about the basic structures of the neuromuscular and nervous systems. The information provided in this episode will:

1. Provide healthcare providers with an easy review and give them some ideas of simple ways to teach your patients about the nervous and neuromuscular systems

2. Help community members gain a better understanding of their bodies

3. Show how a basic understanding of the anatomy can help explain why symptoms of a stroke, spinal cord injury or Multiple Sclerosis (as examples) may manifest differently for different people

4. Help you to be a better self-advocate for your healthcare and rehabilitation

Welcome to the first episode of the Podcast! Take a listen to get to know the host and learn about what inspired Nikki to create this project!