Movin’ On

A graduationstory 6

Vol. 31, No. 1 • 2015

A virtual commencement 12

Cycling after injury 16

Upstairs update 18

Redefining ROI 24

Alumni stories + more

THE LATEST FROM CRAIG HOSPITAL

Movin’ On is published two times a year by Craig Hospital in an effort to share the

stories of the patients and families who pass through our doors. Craig Hospital

sees patients from nearly every state each year. It is our hope to inspire and

educate people about catastrophic injury, prevention and care. Craig Hospital

is licensed by the state of Colorado and accredited by The Joint Commission.

Craig Hospital is located in Englewood, Colorado, a suburb of Denver.

It is world-renowned for specialty rehabilitation and research for patients with spinal cord injury and brain injury.

PRESIDENTMichael L. Fordyce

MEDICAL DIRECTORThomas E. Balazy, MD

EDITORLisa Stites

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSJordan Ames

Spencer Fortier

PHOTOGRAPHERKayla Lawson

DESIGNThe Write Design

On the cover: Craig Hospital grad 18-year-old Dustin Hickok sustained

a traumatic brain injury in 2013 after a longboarding accident.

The young man graduated from the Denver School of the Arts this spring.

© 2015, Craig Hospital3425 S. Clarkson Street

Englewood, CO 80113-2811303.789.8000

www.craighospital.org

2

Dear Friends,

Change has become the norm at Craig Hospital in most recent years. Our staff and patients are embracing the challenges of campus expansion with grace and flexibility. We can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel, as we open new floors and additions. Construction is scheduled to be finished in 2016. Recently, we opened our new fourth floor. As you will read, we have a new state-of-the-art therapy gym, bistro, transfer room and assistive technology lab. We still have some work to do, and are thankful to all those who have contributed to our Redefining ROI Campaign.

In this past six months, Craig Hospital has been recognized on a national level for our high-quality care. I’m especially proud of our nursing staff. They have worked hard to help Craig Hospital produce the highest quality outcomes in the rehabilitation community. In March, the Magnet® Commission recognized our nursing excellence with another Magnet designation. Craig Hospital is now the first freestanding rehabilitation hospital to achieve three consecutive Magnet designations. At the end of 2014, we received word that Craig Hospital was once again chosen to receive the NDNQI® award for quality in rehabilitation medicine. This was the fourth time in five years Craig has received this recognition.

While Craig is undergoing substantial change and growth, we are just as strong and dedicated to helping our patients and grads reach their goals of independence. I invite you to visit our blog (craighospital.org/blog) to read stories about patients and grads or our new resource library (craighospital.org/resources) for health education and information.

As always, thank you for your support.

Warm regards,

Mike FordycePresident and CEO

Letter from the president

Don Richards, Volunteer Coordinator Jill Stelley Virden and CEO Mike Fordyce honor Diane Bradley and Carol Bock with the Jim Richards Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award.

3

Contents

Craig newsCraig Hospital nursing recognized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4A great place to work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Brain Injury Summit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Affiliation agreement created . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Volunteer of the year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Congratulations, graduates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

AdvancementsManual therapy study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Becoming a mom after spinal cord injury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Cycling after injury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Upstairs update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

FoundationNaming gift honors prolific inventor and Craig grad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Welcome Bag program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22PUSH 2015 recap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Redefining ROI: The Campaign for Craig Hospital reaches major milestone . . . . . 24

AlumniProfile: Glenn Bott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Alumni updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Redefining Possible: A portrait series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Coming upAdventure program. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

6A graduation story

12A virtual commencement

Craig is a national center of excellence that provides specialized and comprehensive rehabilitation and research for individuals and their families who are affected by spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. Craig is a federally designated SCI and TBI Model System by NIDRR and a Magnet® Recognized Hospital, 2005–2010, 2010–2015 and 2015–2020. Craig treats patients from nearly every state each year.

Craig is a nonprofit, freestanding hospital committed to providing the highest-quality treatment available. Our staff commitment and expertise, clinical excellence, state-of-the-art facilities and programs, and personal caring make us uniquely qualified to meet this commitment.

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Rehabilitation• Inpatient Spinal Cord Injury

Rehabilitation Programs• Inpatient Ventilator Dependent and

Weaning Programs• Outpatient Re-evaluation Programs• Outpatient Therapy and Follow-up

Clinic Services• Medical and Surgical Programs• Rehabilitative Neurosurgical Programs

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Rehabilitation• Inpatient Brain Injury Rehabilitation• Outpatient Brain Injury Programs

PEAK Center at Craig Hospital• Wellness and Fitness Center

SCI and TBI Research• Federally designated Model System for

SCI and TBI by the National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation and Research (NIDRR)

• TBI Model Systems National Data and Statistical Center

Craig Hospital Foundation• Supporting Craig Hospital’s patients,

programs and facilities

If you are interested in making a patient referral to Craig, please contact Laura Brown, admissions director, at 303-789-8344 or admissions@ craighospital.org. If you would like to make a donation or would like information about planned giving, please contact the Craig Hospital Foundation office at 303-789-8650.

4

CRAIG NEWS

The phone rang just after 11 a.m. on Monday, March 9, on the fourth floor of Craig Hospital. A crowd of nurses eagerly awaited the news from the caller, Donna Havens, PhD, RN, FAAN. Havens was calling on behalf of the Magnet® Commission to inform Craig’s

nursing staff that the hospital was granted recognition as a Magnet- designated organi-zation for the third consecutive time

by the American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Recognition Program®.

Craig Hospital is the first freestanding rehabilitation hospital and one of fewer than 100 Magnet hospitals in the world to achieve three consecutive Magnet designations. Magnet recognition has become the gold standard for nursing excellence and is taken into consider-ation when the public judges healthcare organizations. In fact, U.S. News & World Report’s annual showcase of “America’s Best Hospitals” includes Magnet recognition in its ranking criteria for quality of inpatient care.

Craig Hospital was first designated as a Magnet organization in 2005, and then again in 2010. The 2015 recognition ensures Magnet designation until the year 2020. This prestigious designation recognizes excellence in nursing services. The designation represents sustained and demonstrated patient care outcomes that are the result of superior nursing and interdisciplinary care.

Bravo, nurses!Craig Hospital nursing recognized with unprecedented third Magnet® designation

Craig receives 2014 Press Ganey NDNQI® awardCraig Hospital was named the winner of the 2014 NDNQI Award for Outstanding Nursing Quality by Press Ganey Associates, Inc. The award recognizes the top-performing rehabilitation hospital that has achieved excellence in overall performance in nursing quality indicators. This is the fourth time in five years Craig Hospital has received this recognition.

The NDNQI Award for Outstanding Nursing Quality honors hospitals that have made impressive and measurable improvements in nursing performance and patient outcomes. The award is given annually to the top-performing facility in each of seven categories: academic medical center, teaching hospital, community hospital, pediatric hospital, rehabilitation hospital, psychiatric hospital and international. Press Ganey is the nation’s leading healthcare performance improvement company and partners with more than 11,000 healthcare facilities, including more than half of all U.S. hospitals, to reduce suffering and improve the patient experience.

The announcement was met with quite a celebration

Brain fuel Craig Hospital patients and staff created a Post-it note mosaic of a brain during Brain Injury Awareness Month in March.

5

Craig Hospital once again ranks as a Denver Post Top Workplace in 2015. Each year The Denver Post recognizes companies and organizations that are better places to work. This year 140 companies and organizations were recognized in Denver as Top Workplaces. These companies have been recognized as Top Workplaces based solely on surveys about the workplaces completed by their employees. Craig Hospital ranked #12 among large companies in the Denver metro area.

Kindred Healthcare, Inc., Craig Hospital and the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia, announced that the healthcare organizations have entered into an affiliation agreement to work collaboratively to pursue new neuro-rehabilitation models that seek to improve patient care across the health continuum.

Building upon their core competencies, the parties intend to work collaboratively and with third-party hospitals and healthcare providers to expand access to high-quality and innovative medical and specialty rehabilitation care. That care will range from catastrophic to post-acute to meet the needs of this unique patient population. The parties also intend to further educational programming and research that supports specialized rehabilitative care across an expanded national footprint.

Craig again ranked Best Place to Work

Brain Injury SummitCraig Hospital hosted the third-ever Brain Injury Summit for professionals in the specialized field of brain injury rehabilitation January 11-14 in Vail, Colorado. The state-of-the-art, three-day event featured nationally and internationally recognized leaders practicing in clinical brain injury treatment, rehabilitation and research.

Affiliation agreement created to improve patient care

6

CRAIG MOMENT

Learn to fly:A graduation story Dustin Hickok, 18, sustained a traumatic brain injury

after a longboarding accident when he was 16. The young musician came to Craig Hospital for rehabilitation in 2013. This spring he graduated from the Denver School of the Arts.

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night.Take these broken wings and learn to fly.All your life, You were only waiting for this moment to arise.”

Somehow his fingers knew the chords and his body knew the song.

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night.”

He may have looked like any other patient after a traumatic injury lying in a hospital bed at Littleton Hospital. He was wearing a hospital gown, his head was against the pillow, and he had scratches on his face.

He was not fully aware of what he was doing, but it was in that moment his family knew he was coming back. Their Dustin was returning. He wasn’t looking at them or talking. His eyes were closed, but he was strumming a song on a towel. His mom put a guitar in his hands and he started to play.

Perhaps it’s a coincidence that he played “Blackbird.” He always liked the Beatles, but it wasn’t his favorite song.

“Take these broken wings and learn to fly.”

On a rainy day in May 2015, inside the empty auditorium, Dustin smiles underneath the brim of his corduroy fedora. It has been a year and a half since the accident. His hat has become a signature look since then. It covers the scar on the right side of his head. He’s wearing a black bowling shirt, his khakis are cuffed at the ankles, and his Lakai sneakers have blue laces. He looks like a young artist.

“I don’t like music,” he says with a mixture of innocence and confidence. “I am music.”

Dustin started singing when he was 3. He learned to play guitar when he was 7. As a vocal major at DSA, Denver’s prestigious school for artists, he learned how to charismatically control a stage.

A light shines down on his sunburst Yamaha guitar. It has a shaggy yellow and red strap, with strings that hang over the side. “It’s from Cozumel,” he says. “I went there when I was 14.” He didn’t remember going, though, until his friends told him about it.

Dustin softly strums an acoustic, freestyle version of “Blackbird.” It has become his theme song. His voice has a raspy quality that draws you in. He looks young and like a seasoned performer at the same time.

“Take these broken wings and learn to fly.”

“I don’t know why that was the song my body started playing,” he says.

The AccidentDustin was 16.

He rattles out the date, “October 26, 2013,” with emphasis. That day was a game changer. Or as he says, “a reality hit to the dome.”

On that day, Dustin was doing what a lot of teenagers do — he was having fun and being reckless. He was longboarding — riding a long skateboard — and holding on to his friend’s car as his friend drove down a hill. He crashed.

When he hit the pavement he broke every single bone on the left side of his face. The impact caused swelling on the right side of his brain. He was rushed into surgery and had the right side of his skull removed.

“My teeth were okay, except for this tiny chip,” Dustin smirks and points to his mouth.

7

Watch Dustin sing: craighospital.org/learntofly

The RecoveryDustin doesn’t remember the first three weeks following the accident. The first words he spoke were in Swedish — it was the first language he learned living in Sweden until age 3.

Dustin doesn’t remember that part, nor does he remember the day he spoke only in curse words, or the day he rattled off only numbers. His parents made videos and took photos to show him his progress.

He recalls how strange it was to realize how much he had missed. He was injured at the end of October, but when he finally began to remember things the date was well past Halloween.

The first day he remembers was the day he came to Craig Hospital.

He calls this time “rebooting his brain.” Dustin learned to talk and feed himself again. It was a long and grueling process. His guitar remained a constant companion during rehab. He was an obvious choice for music therapy. He wrote and performed a song in the hospital’s cafeteria.

He kept up with his schoolwork with Craig teacher Laura Magnuson. He set a very hard and real goal: going back to school at DSA to graduate with his peers.

“I am the class of 2015,” he says matter-of-factly.

It was this goal that motivated him to work hard in the therapy gym, and later at home as an outpatient.

“I’ve been working nonstop since October 26, 2013,” he says.

8

I was so excited. That’s why I worked so hard, because I wanted to get back to school, to graduate.

—Dustin Hickok, ’13, Littleton, Colorado

Above: Dustin poses with fellow students at DSA. Top right: A portion of his skull was removed following his traumatic injury. Below: Dustin during recovery and rehabilitation, and with his brothers Philip and Adam on Christmas Eve, 2013, the day he returned home.

9

Back to SchoolHe went back on a trial basis at first. He wasn’t nervous like you might expect.

“I was so excited. That’s why I worked so hard, because I wanted to get back to school, to graduate,” he says.

There was a moment on the second day back in school when he knew he was going to make it. While observing a women’s lit class he was able to answer a question based on listening to the class discussion. He hadn’t even read the book, and he got it right.

“It made me feel pretty good,” he grins.

GraduationThree weeks before graduation, Dustin plays “Blackbird” in the auditorium at DSA. The song symbolizes everything that has gotten him to this moment. He is close to the finish line. He is going to graduate with his class: the class of 2015.

The light hits the tattoo on his left forearm. It’s a daily reminder of his struggles and triumphs. It says, “The key to life is happiness. If you believe in yourself anything is possible.” It’s a quote from Dustin. Something he told his parents during rehabilitation at Craig.

Dustin will attend the University of Northern Colorado. He plans to major in psychology and minor in music. His goal is to become a music therapist. He wants to use his gift to help heal others.

“All your life,You were only waiting for this moment to arise.”

10

Craig Hospital’s 200 volunteers make a difference in the lives of patients and staff on a daily basis. For Carol Bock, those days have quickly added up to 33 years of service.

Bock makes time each Monday to volunteer at Craig because, she says, “It helps me start off the week the right way.” A volunteer in the physical therapy department, she says she gains so much from watching patients become more independent. “I love watching people who enter broken become whole.”

This June, Bock will receive the Jim Richards Outstanding Volunteer of the Year award for her spirit of compassion and her infectious personality.

Resource libraryCraig Hospital has a new online resource library for patients and graduates. The library is indexed and easily searchable and includes resources in English and Spanish. See craighospital.org/resources

Sign up The “Never Stop” sign in Craig Hospital’s Michael Utley Terrain Park kind of says it all.

Congratulations to Carol Bock, at left, who was named the Jim Richards Outstanding Volunteer of the Year.

Volunteer of the year!

PHOTO BY MARY PAT HARRIS

11

Shoulder pain affects as many as 52 percent of people with spinal cord injury. A new study at Craig Hospital, funded by the Craig Hospital Foundation through PUSH Dinner proceeds, will examine the effectiveness of manual therapy to treat shoulder pain.

“In persons affected by spinal cord injury, shoulder pain affects quality of life and the ability to be independent,” says Jeffrey Berliner, MD. “This pain affects a person’s ability to perform tasks that are necessary in everyday life: push a wheelchair, transfer, dress, sleep and drive a car, to name a few.”

The study, which is currently enrolling participants, will look at the benefits of manual therapy — the use of skilled hand movements to manipulate tissues of the body to restore movement, alleviate pain or induce relaxation.

“We currently do manual therapy at Craig Hospital, and we think it works, but we don’t have hard data,” says Jennifer Coker, Craig research associate.

The study is open to anyone with an injury level of T2 and lower who uses a manual chair and experiences chronic shoulder pain. To qualify, the participant must be at least three months post-injury and be able to attend therapy sessions at Craig. Once the participant has passed a phone screening for eligibility, he or she will come to Craig for a baseline physical exam by Dr. Berliner, the study’s principal investigator.

Participants will then be randomly assigned into one of two groups, a manual therapy group or a wait-listed group. The manual therapy group will undergo 30 minutes of physical therapy to their shoulder areas three times a week for two weeks. The wait-listed group will continue with their usual life activities for two weeks and will then be offered the therapy at the end of the two-week wait. Pain levels will be reported by both groups using the Wheelchair User’s Shoulder Pain Index and a numerical pain rating scale.

While participants are not compensated for taking part in the study, they will receive the therapy intervention at no cost. “There is no guarantee that they will benefit, but we think they will,” says Coker. “Plus they will know that they are contributing to research that might help others.”

The research team will publish their findings in medical journals and present the results at professional conferences. They hope to use the findings in a future larger-scale research study.

The study is funded by generous attendees of the PUSH Dinner, Craig’s largest annual fundraising event (see page 25). Through a special PUSH fund, Craig clinical staff members are able to propose and conduct bedside, translational research at Craig.

“Having this support allows us to mentor clinicians who are interested in research,” says Coker. “We’re getting our clinicians involved and expanding our research offerings, all to benefit our patients.”

If you are interested in taking part in the study, contact Jennifer Coker, research associate, at 303-789-8229 or jcoker@craighospital.org. For a list of all study opportunities, visit craighospital.org/programs/research.

Study to examine benefits of manual therapy for shoulder pain

ADVANCEMENTS

Jeffrey Berliner, MD

12

Using her iPhone, Alexis “Lexy” Greenwell virtually walked the stage at Grinnell College’s commencement.

She is thrilled to be alive, thanks to the power of music. Lexy is a 22-year-old singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and beatboxer, who has performed for Reba McEntire and shared a stage with David Foster and other celebrities. She says music played a key role in helping her recover from several brain hemorrhages and two brain surgeries that threatened her life and nearly derailed her college career. After the surgeries she came to Craig Hospital for rehabilitation.

“Music definitely helped save me. It was a huge part of my healing process,” says the Denver area native, who recovered from both surgeries by singing, rapping and beatboxing while supplementing her intense neurological rehabilitation by playing the guitar and drums. Lexy, who completed her college courses via interactive technology, graduated from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa, with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and technology studies on May 18.

She needed to remain in the Denver area, so instead of physically attending commencement exercises, she participated via technology at Craig.

With family, friends and her medical team at Craig, Lexy, sporting a cap and gown, viewed a live stream of the

A virtual commencementWatch Lexy’s graduation ceremony: craighospital.org/blog

Technology helped make Lexy Greenwell’s graduation ceremony a reality. At top: Lexy with Elizabeth and Steve Holtze.

13

ceremony on a projection screen. Her faculty adviser, Janet Davis, walked across the stage in Lexy’s place, holding an iPhone connected to Lexy’s iPhone via Skype. Lexy was able to see the view from the stage and share in the experience as Grinnell College President Raynard S. Kington conveyed his congratulations.

“It was really, really cool. It was just an exciting moment,” says Lexy.

Grinnell College Trustee Steve Holtze and his wife, Elizabeth, both 1968 graduates of Grinnell, presented Lexy with her diploma.

“With her sparkling personality and can-do attitude, Lexy has always been a pleasure to teach and advise,” Davis says. “She has shown remarkable

determination in the face of adversity. Lexy has worked closely with faculty, staff and classmates to participate fully in all of her classes — including a team software development project — despite being far away from Grinnell.”

Now that she has graduated, Lexy will work remotely as a summer intern for a music data analytics firm. She aims to combine her love of music and technology to become a music executive. She also plans to write a book about her experiences in hopes of inspiring others.

“It takes some time when you go through something like this to get yourself to a place where you feel like you can move forward,” she says, adding with a smile, “My future is wide open, and I’m so grateful for the amazing life I have.”

My future is wide open, and I’m so grateful for the amazing life I have.

—Lexy Greenwell, ’15, Aurora, Colorado

Many Craig Hospital graduates work extremely hard to reach the significant milestone of returning to school. Congratulations to all Craig grads who have achieved this feat — and especially to those who are graduating this year from high school, college, and professional and graduate level programs!

Did we miss you? We want to keep up with all of our former patients. Please send your news (with your complete address, phone number and year you graduated from Craig) to: Alumni Update, c/o Craig Hospital Administration, 3425 S. Clarkson Street, Englewood, CO 80113, fax: 303-789-8219, e-mail: lstites@craighospital.org

1 Boone Bartlome – Idaho 2 Alex Bennett – Wyoming 3 Tyler Bennett – Wyoming 4 Georges Brunet – Colorado 5 Anthony Diffley – South Dakota 6 Jordan Ellis – Colorado 7 Deborah Ede – Oklahoma 8 Gracie Fisher – California 9 Matt Fritzie – Arizona 10 Lexy Greenwell – Colorado11 Dustin Hickok – Colorado12 Blake Hishmeh – New Jersey13 Kolton Kincaid – Kansas14 Amber Lee – Colorado 15 Miles Pancoast – Colorado16 Debbie Pepin-Garrison – Arkansas17 Kennedy Reeves – Texas18 Harlee Speyer – Wyoming19 Celine Trask – South Dakota

1 23

46

5

78

9

1011

12

13

14

Congrats, graduates!

1516

17

18

19

14

Watching my daughter’s personality grow is my favorite thing.

—Carrie Sunday, ’03, Overbrook, Kansas

15

Many young girls have the dream of one day getting married and starting a family. Carrie Sunday knew at a young age that she wanted to be a wife and a mom.

Carrie sustained a spinal cord injury in a car accident when she was 17.

She came to Craig Hospital shortly after the injury for rehabilitation. “We think of Craig as a family,” says her mom Treva Koch. She usually comes with Carrie during her outpatient appointments every few years.

When Carrie visits Craig Hospital she likes to spend time with other young women in rehab with spinal cord injuries. She wants to make sure they feel supported and understand that life can still be how they envisioned.

“If they want to get married, have babies, go to college, they can do it,” she says.

Carrie, now 29, lives in a rural town south of Topeka, Kansas, and was recently named Ms. Wheelchair Kansas. She jostles 10-month-old Reagan on her lap. She describes how her spinal cord injury was actually an impetus to going to college, getting a job and starting a family.

“If anything it made me want to prove myself,” Carrie says.

Always the overachiever, Carrie did her homework before getting pregnant. She had been living with a spinal cord injury for 12 years and knew there would be some challenges. She still wasn’t prepared for all the unsolicited advice she received from people she knew, as well as strangers.

“How will you take care of a child?” “How can you get pregnant?” “Is that a good idea?”

Carrie and her family handled it with grace. She had faced similar questions when she was engaged to marry her husband, Greg. At that time people were concerned what his life would be like marrying someone with a spinal cord injury. Would he ever be able to have children?

“We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve cussed,” says Carrie’s mom.

Carrie also had her own concerns about getting pregnant. She researched complications, read scholarly articles, and joined an online support group. She found a small group of moms with SCI on carecure.org. The women all shared their pregnancy stories and gave tips and tricks for once the baby arrived.

Carrie’s injury is at the C6 level, so doctors weren’t sure if she’d be able to feel the baby or even know when she was in labor. Carrie recalls the first time she felt the flutters of Reagan kicking. She had to ask her mom if that’s in fact what she was feeling. She also felt her contractions.

Today, Reagan is a healthy and happy 10-month-old baby girl. She has gray-blue eyes and round cheeks. Carrie still gets questions from people. “Is she yours?” “Is she adopted?” She handles them in stride.

“Watching her personality grow is my favorite thing,” Carrie says.

Becoming a mom after spinal cord injury

For moms-to-be with SCI, Carrie recommends:

• Carecure.org — a forum for people with SCI

• Wheelchairmommy.com — a blog about a woman with paraplegia raising three sons

• Mama Zooms — a children’s book about a mom in a wheelchair

16

At Craig Hospital bikes are a gateway activity that lead to other therapeutic recreational activities. For many patients getting on a bike again shows them there is hope for independence. Adaptive cycling equipment has come a long way in the past 30 years.

“Thirty years ago handcycles were dinosaurs,” says Claire Cahow, therapeutic recreation specialist at Craig Hospital. Cahow has been with Craig Hospital for a long time and remembers the first bikes used in the therapeutic recreation department. “They were huge and they were not practical things.”

In the past decade, adaptive cycling has come a long way. There are now several different options for different skill levels and levels of injury. For people with quadriplegia there are now bikes that can be adapted for “quad grips,” using a cleat and attaching to a person’s hand so they can move the bike.

“So if you don’t have hand dexterity but you have good biceps, or at least a trace of triceps, you can ride a bike,” says Cahow.

Handcycling was first developed in the 1980s to allow people an adapted form of cycling. Since then, it has become a Paralympic sport. Craig Hospital has a fleet of 25 different bikes, which range from handcycles to recumbent bikes.

The most expensive handcycles are designed for more competitive or regular cycling. They are equivalent to road bikes. They are lightweight and low to the ground, which can make them very difficult to transfer onto. These bikes are designed for people who can do their own transfers pretty independently. The rider looks like he or she is nearly horizontal on the road.

Recreational handcycles are a little bit higher off the ground, which allows for easier transfer. “These bikes are still pretty geared toward full function of upper extremities, but you don’t have to have quite as much balance,” says Cahow. Recreational bikes are made for every level of spinal cord injury. They typically have more of a seat back and are designed for leisure biking.

Cycling after injuryTypes of bikes and how to get one

17

Nearly 300 cyclists, including many current and former Craig Hospital patients riding handcycles, participated in the charity bike ride, presented by LogRhythm and Coloplast. Riders chose between a 10K, 50K, 100K and 100-mile route. All cyclists started and ended at the Colorado Technology Center (CTC) in Louisville.

Riders raised more than $100,000 for Craig Hospital. All money raised will fund innovative therapy programs that help Craig Hospital patients affected by spinal cord and traumatic brain injury thrive, such as therapeutic recreation, the Nurse Advice Line, the PEAK Center and many more.

Bike Ride: Pedal4Possible

Learn more at pedal4possible.org

Adaptive cycling technology continues to improve. There are more options than ever before, including all-terrain, off-road handcycles and some with electric options. One of the biggest obstacles for people interested in cycling is actually the price tag for a handcycle. The prices typically start at $2,500. The more elite bikes start at over $10,000.

But Cahow hopes people won’t be deterred by the price tag. “Yes, they are expensive pieces of equipment, but the cycling community at large likes to support other riders.” She suggests people get involved in fundraisers or sign up for scholarships to cover the cost of the bike. “If you want one, there is a way to get one!” she says.

18

19

When outpatient Beth Requist came to Craig for a re-evaluation she had the opportunity to see the new fourth floor.

“The new fourth floor is so much nicer, with a bunch more room! The bathrooms are much nicer as well,” she says.

In February 2015, Craig Hospital patients and staff got the first look at the new fourth floor. The new addition to the hospital includes a spacious therapy gym, a patient transfer room with a new transfer car, a wheelchair shop and a new assistive technology lab.

“I love having the therapies on the same floor. It helps with treatment and building teamwork among the different departments,” says Sara Manley, RN.

The new floor also features a bistro, which allows for easier access to food.

“Having the bistro on the fourth floor is great because it gets patients up on time with something in their bellies,” Manley says.

The fourth-floor gym has large windows looking out on the mountains. Staff and patients enjoy the roomier space and the view. “The fourth floor is a great, beautiful space with a fun, positive atmosphere,” says occupational therapist Jenny Strom.

“The views are the best part about the fourth floor. Patients are able to have a beautiful view to look out at while they are working on their rehab,” says Chris Agresta, physical therapy tech.

Demolition is underway on the second floor, and work continues on the south side of the third floor.

Upstairs updateI love having the therapies on the same floor. It helps with treatment and building teamwork.

—Sara Manley, RN

A spacious therapy gym and a room for patients to practice transfers are part of Craig Hospital’s new fourth floor addition.

20

The new assistive technology lab on the fourth floor is considered one of the most coveted spaces in the hospital, with beautiful windows overlooking the Front Range. The room is more organized and spacious.

In the new space, lab staff teach patients how to use state-of-the-art equipment to be as independent as possible.

“The lab is much more organized due to the layout. It is much more efficient and much less cluttered, and overall a more pleasant atmosphere,” says assistive technology specialist Jill Baldessari, OTR, ATP.

New assistive technology lab

Each month therapists use prime space within a set of bookcases

to spotlight patients who have benefited from the tech lab.

The lab is much more organized and efficient.

—Jill Baldessari, OTR, ATP

FOUNDATION

At a special ceremony on April 11, Craig Hospital’s new assistive technology lab was named and dedicated in honor of Don and Melba Rugg.

Michael Durham and his wife, Dr. Jan Durham, donated $1 million to Craig’s Redefining ROI Campaign to name the Don and Melba Rugg Assistive Technology Laboratory to honor the Ruggs’ legacy and help inspire future patients.

Don Rugg, who was paralyzed in an automobile accident in 1954 shortly after his college graduation, didn’t let the challenges of his quadriplegia stop him. Instead, the young electrical engineer went on to earn a doctorate and worked for many years on the faculty of the University of Denver’s Denver Research Institute. In the late 1950s, Don and colleague Bill Orr designed a reclining power wheelchair, a device that would become instrumental for the spinal cord injury rehabilitation program at Craig.

Durham says technology is getting better and taking away limitations for people like Don.

The Durhams hope that through the tech lab patients will understand the world is still wide open to them to do whatever they want to do following an injury. “Don wasn’t a handicapped person,” says Durham. “He was just Don, a person who used a chair and truly made significant contributions to his field.”

Naming gift honors prolific inventor, Craig grad Don Rugg

A variety of spaces are available for naming in the new and renovated West Building for gifts starting at $50,000. These major gifts are vital to the completion of the expansion and revitalization project. These gifts can be paid over three years and may entitle the donor to a 25 percent Colorado state tax credit through the Enterprise Zone program. Learn more at craighospital.org/ROI or call 303-789-8650.

21

Michael Durham at the tech lab dedication

22

Every week, Craig Hospital graduate Derek Schneiderman and Jacquie Hall, senior director of principal gifts, deliver special care packages to newly arrived patients.

The pair spend time visiting with the patients and their families when they drop off the bags. Derek is often asked questions about his life using a wheelchair.

“They’re so new to Craig that often I’m the first nonstaff person they’ve met here,” says Derek, who sustained a spinal cord injury in 2008.

“I get asked lots of questions, especially about driving,” he says. “Once you’ve had a spinal cord injury it seems like nothing is private, so I’m open to answering all sorts of things.”

Derek works at Morgan Stanley, drives an SUV, and works out in the PEAK Center daily. He does CrossFit and is training for a triathlon.

“It’s great for people to meet me and realize that they can go on to live happy and full lives,” Derek says. “They see that they can still do all sorts of things.”

Jacquie agrees. “The patients ask him questions that they’d never ask me,” she says. “One patient told me that Derek had given him hope.”

Spinal cord injury patients receive a bag with items recommended by other patients as being helpful during their time at Craig. The bags include a sleep kit with eye mask, lotion, a laundry bag, playing cards, floss, a pen and a card signed by members of the foundation.

Patients with brain injuries receive a similar kit customized for their needs. The items are purchased through the Patient Assistance Fund or donated by organizations.

Derek finds joy in volunteering with the Welcome Bag program. “It’s great knowing that talking to me has helped people, and it feels great to give back to people who need it.”

Welcome Bag program helps ease the transition to Craig

Derek Schneiderman and Jacquie Hall are pictured above.

A patient’s first few days at Craig can be overwhelming, with a slew of tests, new faces and new routines. The Craig Hospital Foundation’s Welcome Bag program helps make the transition just a little bit easier.

Craig Hospital’s biggest fundraiser of the year, the annual PUSH Dinner, took place on February 27. The presenting sponsor for the 2015 event was Empower Retirement. PUSH was attended by 1,340 people and brought in nearly $1.3 million for Craig Hospital programs, research and patients.

Patrick Ireland, a survivor of the 1999 Columbine High School shooting and Craig graduate, was awarded the Christopher and Dana Reeve Inspiration Award. This award was given in recognition of Patrick’s determination, advocacy, and commitment to serving as a positive and influential role model to those who have sustained traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries.

Also at the dinner, Steve Peters accepted the Dave and Gail Liniger Spirit of Craig Award. This new award recognizes a Craig graduate who, through community service, professional achievement and personal support of Craig’s patients, graduates and mission, significantly brings to life the spirit of Craig Hospital to others in the community.

The 2016 PUSH Dinner will happen on Saturday, April 30, at the Hyatt Regency Colorado Convention Center. Learn more at craighospital.org/push.

Craig Hospital PUSH Dinner raises nearly $1.3 millionTo watch the PUSH Dinner honoree videos featuring Patrick Ireland and Steve Peters, visit craighospital.org/push2015

Honorees Patrick Ireland and Steve Peters

23

RedefiningImpactIndependenceInnovationInvolvement

ROI

In February, Craig Hospital Foundation staff reached a major milestone in the Redefining ROI Campaign when they met the $18 million goal for unrestricted and program funding! Staff will continue working with donors to raise the remaining $11 million needed to fund the renovation and expansion project.

Redefining ROI: The Campaign for Craig Hospital reaches major milestone

For more information about how you can help the

Craig Hospital Foundation meet the Redefining ROI campaign goal,

visit craighospital.org/ROI or call 303-789-8650.

AMOUNT NAMING OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE $10,000,000 Patient Floors 2 7,500,000 PEAK Wellness Center 1 5,000,000 Outdoor Entry Plaza 1 Outpatient Services 1 2,000,000 Therapy Pool Atrium 1 1,000,000 Therapy Gyms 2 Bistro Café 1 750,000 Boardroom 1 500,000 Outpatient Therapy Gym 1 Nurse Education Suite 1 Daily Living Apartment 1 300,000 Upper Extremity Therapy Room 1 250,000 Transfer Training Lab 1 Patient Floor Conference Rooms 2 150,000 Wheelchair Shop 1 100,000 Staff Lounges 2 Patient Rooms 36 75,000 Inpatient Therapy Rooms 6 Multi-Purpose Clinic 1 Occupational Therapy Kitchen 1 50,000 Outpatient Clinical Exam Rooms 7 Outpatient Therapy Treatment Rooms 7 Inpatient Consult Rooms 2

$50,000,00045,000,00040,000,00035,000,00030,000,00025,000,00020,000,00015,000,00010,000,0005,000,000

0

$18,000,000

16,000,000

14,000,000

12,000,000

10,000,000

8,000,000

6,000,000

4,000,000

2,000,000

0

24

25

When Glenn Bott lay in a hospital bed at St. Anthony Hospital in Denver, having just emerged from a 10-day coma, his wife started speaking words of encouragement to him.

“She told me that the doctors were basing their poor prognosis on other peoples’ histories,” he says. “She reminded me that I wasn’t those people — that I was strong and focused and that I would recover.”

Glenn says that it was his wife’s strength, love and belief in him that were the keys to his recovery from his traumatic brain injury. It eventually led him to a new career as a speaker and life coach, helping others claim their own personal power and create a wonderful life.

Profile: Glenn Bott

ALUMNI

26

In 2004, Glenn was riding his bicycle in Arvada, Colorado, when he was struck by an SUV, sustaining a severe brain injury, broken clavicle, and shoulder and arm injuries. His trauma doctors said that the odds of him being able to be a functional adult were very slim due to the severity of his injuries.

He spent more than two months at Craig Hospital, where he re-learned how to walk, eat and function. After discharge, he returned to the hospital several times a week for outpatient rehab.

Glenn is quick to admit that

the early years after his injury were difficult. “When you’re at Craig, it becomes your world and it’s comfortable, then suddenly you’re out in the big world,” he says. “I really freaked out when I came home.”

An engineer who had left Coors Brewing Company after working in research and development for approximately 20 years, Glenn was working in the mortgage industry at the time of his accident. “After my accident I got some ‘sympathy loans,’” he says. “I was out there meeting people, attending closings,

and nothing looked different about me, but I felt different.”

Glenn wasn’t prepared for the loss of confidence and the resulting memory loss that came with his injury.

“Recovering from a TBI is like growing up from infancy, but in a hurry. I was independent, but still so dependent,” he says. “My wife had to remind me that I needed to take time to rest and be kind to myself.”

Drawing on years of corporate training in innovation, vision setting, and leadership, Glenn eventually changed his mind-set. “I had a great mentor who would talk about the law of attraction — what you focus on expands,” he says. “The average person has 50,000 thoughts a day, so I decided to focus on positive self-talk to regain my confidence.”

In 2013, Glenn opened Warriors Way LLC, a life coaching business dedicated to helping others reclaim their personal power as he did. He offers one-on-one coaching and business consulting, and leads workshops on conscious living, focus, reinvention and innovation. He has also spoken to local service organizations, telling the story of his TBI recovery in a talk he’s titled “Drop Your Crutches.”

“We all have crutches — not always literally, but emotionally and spiritually,” he says. “Writing a new story for your life takes discipline.”

Glenn is passionate about his new life’s work. “I’m very focused now on helping people overcome obstacles and create a new reality,” he says. “When my head got thumped, my heart opened.”

To learn more about Glenn’s work, visit warriorswayllc.com or contact him at 303-918-4626 or glenn@ warriorswayllc.com.

Glenn’s tips for TBI caregivers, based on his family’s experience

• Support your loved one unconditionally.• Make a decision and commit to helping your loved one recover—be patient.• Push your loved one and help him or her stretch to reach new goals.

Be kind but firm.• Encourage your loved one to get out of the house and back into society.• Work on your loved one’s cognitive recovery, but don’t forget to rebuild

his or her self-esteem.

We all have crutches — not always literally, but emotionally and spiritually. Writing a new story for your life takes discipline.

—Glenn Bott, ’04, Arvada, Colorado

Craig grad Glenn Bott leads workshops on conscious living. The photograph at left was taken on his first bike ride after his accident.

27

Paul Ritter, ’98, Albany, Oregon, has written a book, Racing the Gods: A Ducati Superbike Racer’s Autobiography, which was released May 1 by Octane Press. In the book, Ritter shares his journey to success in the AMA Superbike series and recounts his recovery from the paralyzing accident he had at a vintage race two decades after retirement.

Ritter started riding motorcycles in college. His excitement for street riding and speeding around turns led him to the track. He began club racing in 1973. In 1977, Ritter participated in his first

professional race on a Ducati owned by Dale Newton at the Sears Point AMA National Superbike race, and won. In the two years he raced with Dale Newton Ducati, Ritter raced five of the six AMA Superbike races, recording two wins and a second-, a third- and two fourth-place finishes. Ritter placed third in the 1978 championship. After the 1979 season and a few club races in 1980, he retired from racing.

After a long hiatus, Ritter started riding again in 1996. In 1998, he participated in his first race in two decades, a vintage race in Colorado. He was involved in a terrible accident that left him with a spi-nal cord injury. He recounts that it took him several years to learn how to live a meaningful life from a wheelchair. He returned to work and met Dee, his wife.

Ritter has continued to live a life of excitement. In 2002 he had a custom sidecar built for his Moto Guzzi, where he can operate the motorcycle with hand controls. He continues to explore the outdoors with a front attachment for his wheelchair that allows him to ride rough terrains. In 2003, Ritter became a certified SCUBA diver. He and his wife live in Oregon.

Jeff Hately, ’67, Oviedo, Florida, is pictured above with his wife, Lori.

Jeff writes: “At the age of 17 I arrived at Craig Rehab (the original barracks), where I started my lifelong journey as a quadriplegic. Forty-seven years later and I’m still ticking. A bit slower, but still movin’ on. Craig was ahead of its time back in the day and continues to excel in its rehabilitation of TBI and SCI clients. I hope to someday make it back to Colorado to see the hospital/rehab center.

“I remember sitting on the patio at Craig and seeing a guy roll his wheelchair down the ramp, get into a car and drive away. I immediately went inside and asked how this person, in a wheelchair, was able to drive a car. I was told about hand controls. I made an appointment with the driving instructor and, one lesson later, I was driving. Driving was a big deal for me and still is. I love driving and my wife and I still enjoy road trips.

“After leaving Craig I went back home to Grants, New Mexico, and finished high school. After graduation I worked a couple of jobs — local newspaper, disc jockey at our local radio station. Not much of a future in Grants . . . so in 1976 I moved to Roswell, New Mexico, for vocational training. That was the best move I ever made. I met my wife-to-be, Lori, in Roswell. We both arrived in Roswell within a month of each other, and 37 years later we’re still making memories. After our wedding we moved lock, stock and barrel to Champaign/Urbana, Illinois, home of the University of Illinois. I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, class of ’82. We adopted our two children while in Illinois and in 1989 moved to Florida. Our children are grown and we have three wonderful grandchildren. Life is good!

“Keep up the great work you do. I love reading the stories and articles, especially alumni updates.”

Send us your updates! Please send your ordinary and extraordinary news (with your complete address, phone number and year you graduated from Craig) to: Alumni Update, c/o Craig Hospital Administration, 3425 S. Clarkson Street, Englewood, CO 80113, fax: 303-789-8219, e-mail: lstites@craighospital.org.

28

Redefining Possible

PHOTOS © BARRY GUTIERREZ

A portrait series

29

Each person who has come through Craig Hospital has a story to tell.

“Redefining Possible,” Craig Hospital’s new portrait series, is a different take on traditional storytelling. It features beautiful photography of people who have sustained spinal cord and brain injuries taken by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Barry Gutierrez. The overall goal of the series is to dispel some of the myths surrounding people who have sustained traumatic injuries and showcase the power of the human spirit.

The photo series will be introduced at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival in July 2015. It will then be on display at the Liniger Building, CU South Denver. Craig’s marketing team worked with award-winning Web firm Viget (Boulder, Colorado) to create a microsite (redefiningpossible.org) that includes behind-the-scenes videos and images as well as the stories of each individual in the series.

Clockwise from top left: Veteran triathlete and accomplished epidemiologist Erica Dueger and her husband Jose, Erica with photographer Barry Gutierrez and assistant Stephen Swoford, Erica’s portrait, a portrait of Crossfit coach and trainer Kevin Ogar, US Army helicopter pilot David Ortiz and his brother and “wingman” Mike, the brothers with Gutierrez.

Facing page: Dave Denniston, Paralympian and Paralympic swim coach, poses underwater.

See more: redefiningpossible.org

Craig Hospital’s adventure program offers the unique opportunity to define your adventure! Whether it’s travel, sports or outdoor recreation, our program has something for you! Our staff organize and attend the trips and programs, bringing together newly

injured individuals and Craig alumni, along with family and friends to enhance everyone’s experience.The program offers a range of activities — from local cycling, hunting and fishing, to exotic destinations for SCUBA diving, kayaking and cruising, to name a few.

Craig Hospital

COMING UP

ADVENTURESwith 2015

Learn more and sign up at craighospital.org/events

There truly are no limits...30

31

2015July10 Discover SCUBA*, 2pm13 Discover Kayaking*, 4pm

August7 Hobie Day*, 9:30am21 Discover SCUBA*, 2pm22 Discover Jeppesen Flying*, 8am24 Discover Kayaking*, 4pm

September18 Discover SCUBA*, 2pm21 2015 Ron Don Ho Golf Classic, 9am24 Discover Vermejo Fishing Trip (New Mexico)*Pain Awareness MonthHealthy Aging Month

October16 Discover SCUBA*, 2pm17 Discover Jeppesen Flying*, 8am22 2015 Kappa Book and Author DinnerDisability Employment Awareness MonthDomestic Violence Awareness MonthPatient-centered Care MonthPharmacists MonthPhysical Therapy Month

*See craighospital.org/events to learn more or sign up for these adventure program events

Calendar

Craig Hospital

Craig Hospital is working hard to Go Green. You can help us! Look for weekly tips on our Facebook page and join us in our #GoingGreen efforts. If you wish to have your name removed from the mailing list, please call 303-789-8019 or e-mail lstites@craighospital.org.

ADVENTURES

3425 S. Clarkson StreetEnglewood, CO 80113-2811

www.craighospital.org

Craig Hospital is ranked again as a Denver Post Top Workplace in 2015. Craig earned this distinction thanks to surveys from employees about their workplace. Read more on page 5.

Is it any wonder...?