Rochester Spinal Association

Our headlines often focus on the body count of gun violence - how many people died today? But what about those that live and are seriously injured? RSA members who have been shot and paralyzed will be part of an important conversation being hosted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation this Monday. Please register and join.

RSVP ASAP for our spring picnic.

Last week, I had the honor of being part of a panel discussing support for gun violence survivors with spinal cord injuries. The panel was part of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation annual summit in Washington DC. My co-panelists (Namel TapWaterz Norris, Gucci Mula, and Abdur Noor) are all survivors of gun violence doing good work to help others.

We made some connections from across the country to further collaboration and spread the focus on this underserved population.

We hosted our second ever, and now annual, ugly holiday sweater party last night at the Pieters Family Life Center. The competition for ugliest sweater was fierce! At the end, when the dust settled, the clear winner was James, with his "birthday boy" sweater vest!

We just launched our annual campaign. RSA receives no base funding from the government, so we rely on individuals and businesses in our community to make our mission possible. To donate, please visit our website at www.rochesterspinalassociation.org and click the orange "Donate" button. Read below for a recent story about why RSA - and your donations - make a big difference for people with spinal cord injuries in our region!
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Connor’s story:

Connor Herbst has been part of the Rochester Spinal Association since June 2022 when he was involved in an accident at a worksite and was pinned under a forklift. He was immediately paralyzed and rushed to Strong Hospital. Despite the trauma of his injury, Connor was soon transferred to the rehabilitation unit. It was there that he met RSA Executive Director, Chris Hilderbrant. During his time in rehab, Connor and Chris spoke several times.

After Connor’s discharge, he quickly got involved in activities sponsored by RSA and in adapted sports. Within a few weeks of discharge, Connor joined RSA for a concert at Charlotte beach, spoke as part of a panel organized by RSA for WXXI-TV, tried wheelchair basketball, and began playing wheelchair rugby. Connor has since secured his own apartment where he lives with his girlfriend, gotten his license and adapted his car, participated in friends’ weddings, and traveled to Lake Placid, NY and Slippery Rock, PA to play in wheelchair rugby tournaments.

Just 25 years old and only a year and a half past his own injury, Connor is a natural mentor for others with spinal cord injuries. Through RSA, Connor has connected with other young people who have recently experienced spinal cord injuries. He shares his experiences, his struggles, and his successes. He even met with a young man from England who was injured while working in Western, NY.

It’s safe to assume that Connor’s best days are still ahead of him. Wherever he decides to go and whatever he decides to do, we like to think that RSA was the spark that helped him reignite his passions.

Home | Rochester Spinal Association "At some time, often when we least expect it, we all have to face overwhelming challenges. When the unthinkable happens, the lighthouse is hope. Once we find it, we must cling to it with absolute determination. When we have hope, we discover powers within ourselves we may have never known- the power...

RSA is hiring! If you or someone you know would make a great service coordinator for people living with spinal cord injuries, check out the job description on our website for more info:

Now Hiring | Rochester Spinal Association The mission of the Rochester Spinal Association (RSA) is to enhance the quality of life of people living with spinal cord injuries in the greater Rochester region and the service coordinator plays a vital role in achieving this mission.

Please join us on Saturday, September 23rd for the return of the annual SCI Health Fair! We'll be at Pieters Family Life Center in Henrietta. Lots of great presentations and connections to be made!

In our latest eBlast, we follow the sun and focus on the nonprofit organizations we partner with that provide people with spinal cord injury access to the great outdoors. Check out the article here:
https://chnfoundation.org/article/fill-your-summer-with-a-little-sport-and-adventure/

Looking like a great evening to be together and celebrate how far so many have come with the help of some great healthcare providers!

Let’s make this year even better than lasts! 🎉

The QR code will lead you to register for the event, be apart of our Kessler Trauma Center Team! Registration is not required to participate in the event but will benefit Trauma Survivors.

We are excited to share our latest eBlast article on the needs of caregivers. Thanks to Susie Charlifue and Chris Hilderbrant at Rochester Spinal Association for your input:
https://chnfoundation.org/article/caring-about-caregivers/

Keep up with the Foundation's latest news and grant application schedules here:
https://chnfoundation.org/people/

We're hiring! RSA is seeking a service coordinator to support people with spinal cord injuries in the greater Rochester region. If you or someone you know has a background in social work, care management, service coordination, or something similar, please check out the position posted here:

Now Hiring! | Rochester Spinal Association The mission of the Rochester Spinal Association (RSA) is to enhance the quality of life of people living with spinal cord injuries in the greater Rochester region and the service coordinator plays a vital role in achieving this mission.

Our executive director, Chris Hilderbrant, is leading a great panel tomorrow evening focused on the representation of disability in advertising.

Indie Lens Pop Up and Move to Include present "Move Me" A dancer paralyzed with a spinal cord injury tests the limits of her recovery while adapting to life with a disability.

Big news and big opportunity for support! RSA's support group for people with spinal cord injuries due to gun violence goes nationwide, seven day per week, starting next week!

New Peer Support Group for Gunshot Survivors The Rochester Spinal Association is opening up its popular gun violence peer support group to all paralyzed gunshot survivors.

Telling ghost stories at the beach by the light of wheelchair headlights?

RSA Board member Nicole Nabors is featured in the news today promoting the need for more accessibility in the City of Rochester.

You can still give the city your input by completing this survey:
https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/6884594/roc-atp

https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/rochester/public-safety/2022/08/18/push-to-improve-accessibility-in-rochester-for-everyone #

Push to improve accessibility in Rochester for everyone The city is seeking feedback for its transportation plan.

Early last year, RSA started a support group specific to the needs of people who are paralyzed due to acts of gun violence. We've had over 20 people participate. Please check out this story about the group and how life-changing and life-saving it is for some of its members.

Rochester group offers support for paralyzed gunshot victims They're injuries are forever life-changing.

RSA members joined Rochester Accessible Adventures today for adapted kayaking and hand-cycling. Old friends got together and new friendships were formed... and there were baby ducks!

We are excited to announce the election of two new members to our board of directors! Welcome Nicole Nabors and Mike Patterson! We also elected our officers for the coming year:
Chair - Amy Scaramuzzino
Vice Chair - Betsy Saxe
Treasurer - Cathy O'Malley Flanagan
Secretary - Leanne Korosec Rorick

Thank you all for your time and leadership!

Our people do great things! Check this out 2:30-5:30pm today.

Oh, hey? What's RSA up to today?

A little over one year ago, RSA started a support group specifically to address the needs of people living with spinal cord injuries due to acts of gun violence. We are one of few SCI-focused organizations directly addressing the needs of this population. We are honored today to share that Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has chosen to fund our efforts with one of their Community Health Awards. RSA will use the funds to develop a training for healthcare providers and provide peer support to individuals with SCI due to gunshot wounds. Through these efforts, we will begin to address health disparities and inequities.

Here's the language from the Excellus BCBS press release describing the program:
"Rochester Spinal Association, Gunshot Survivor-Cultural Competence: This program helps address the needs and enhance the quality of life for people living with spinal cord disability. Gunshot wound survivors can lack the health literacy to make use of the complicated information regarding spinal cord injury provided by medical professionals who may not be aware of the cultural issues that can affect treatment. To help bridge this gap, award funding will be used to develop in-service training to health providers to help reduce cultural disconnects; and deploy peer mentors to assist those adjusting to their injuries to better understand the medical information vital to recovery."

If you are part of an organization that would benefit from this training, please reach out to us! Also, if you know people living with SCI in the greater Rochester region who want to connect with others in similar circumstances, please help us connect with them.