October 2008

Ryan has Cerebral Palsy and uses a power wheelchair for mobility, but doesn’t let his disability slow him down. He does fun therapy in his standing frame, walker, and bike to keep his muscles strong for other activities. He goes horseback riding, skis, swims, and does many other things that able-bodied kids do. His mom, Luann, shares how Ryan stays healthy and active through daily standing therapy and a variety of other great activities.

When you see Ryan, you see a glowing kid, full of potential. Ryan started standing in an EasyStand Magician-ei when he was only three years old; he worked his way up to an EasyStand Magician Comfy and is a third grader already! We had the pleasure of meeting Ryan at his home during a photo shoot with the new EasyStand Bantam. In this video, you see Ryan standing in the Magician-ei, Magician Comfy, and Bantam.

What do you think of Ryan’s story? What activities do you do for fun?

I discovered GoodSearch after learning about it in an email newsletter for an organization I support. GoodSearch is a search engine like Google that is powered by Yahoo Search. Every time you run a search, GoodSearch donates to the organization of your choice. Over 67,000 organizations and schools are already listed in Goodsearch, including many disability-related organizations like the National Spinal Cord Injury Association (NSCIA), UCP- Wheels for Humanity, Miami Project, and many more. You can change your charity at any time, so it is easy to give to more than one. Plus new organizations are added daily, and you can even suggest new ones.

You can also shop though GoodSearch. At the GoodShop, shop your favorite stores like Amazon, Target and eBay, and a percent of your purchase cost will be donated to the charity that you select. I use this feature too because it allows me to use my shopping addiction for a good cause.

Goodsearch gives me the opportunity to support my favorite charity without shelling out the bucks. It’s user friendly, and I added it to my toolbar to make it even easier. Go ahead..try a new search engine! See what GoodSearch has to offer & start supporting your favorite charity now!

Have you tried GoodSearch? What charity do you support?

Matt building strength in the EasyStand Evolv Glider at Project Walk, in Carlsbad, CA.

It’s not everyday that you meet a person like Matt Courson. Matt is a 23 year old college student from Arkansas, who is a T7 Incomplete paraplegic. He is determined, hard-working, and the type of guy that you just sense the great attitude oozing out of him. I say this without meeting him face-to-face, but feel like I have after seeing him on youtube, Mattcourson.org, Facebook, and even the Washington Post.

Through his rehab programs at Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland, & Project Walk in Carlsbad, California, and hours of rehab at home, Matt is working towards becoming the 1%. To understand what it means to be the 1%, know that his doctors told him that there was a 99% chance that he would never walk again.

Earlier this year, the Washington Post wrote an article about Kennedy Krieger Institute and activity-based restorative therapy. It includes interviews with Pat Rummerfield, who after 17 years of therapy has regained his ability to walk, and Matt Courson who seems to be following in his footsteps with his hard work, faith and determination.

Matt Courson uses the EasyStand Glider stander, combined with electrical stimulation, to gain strength, build muscle mass, and ultimately achieve his goal of walking on his own again one day.

Watch the Washington Post Video “Possibilities for the Impossible”

What do you think of the Washington Post’s article and video, Medical Marvel- Possibilities for the Impossible?

Are you going to the Medtrade show October 28-30 in Atlanta? Historically, Medtrade has been the show of the year for DME Suppliers and Rehab manufacturers to gather. Seeing new products, attending educational seminars, and networking is on everyone’s agenda. Despite the decreasing attendance at Medtrade over the years, Altimate Medical is excited to be going to Atlanta once again:

1. The greatly anticipated EasyStand Bantam makes it first appearance at Medtrade! After a thorough design & evaluation period, we are excited to show suppliers and therapists the new stander that their schools and families were waiting for!
2. Our standers are Evolv-ing! A prototype of the EasyStand Evolv with an optional Swing Away Front will be in our booth. This allows the front table and kneepad to swing to the side, providing maximum transfer room.
3. The Evolv E3 was designed to make standing more attainable to the customer- come talk to us about it to see if it’s the right fit for you!
4. We can see old friends! For us, Medtrade is a great place to talk to our friends and customers in person; with the product right in front of us to play with!

Are you going to Medtrade this year? Why or why not? If you are attending, be sure to visit our crew in booth #1637A! We want to show you what the new Bantam and Evolv are all about! If you are not attending the show, let us know, and we will send you the new Bantam literature and price list when it’s available.

I’ve had my standing frame for over a decade. I think I received it in 1994, but it’s been so long now I can barely remember. The exact date I got my standing frame is besides the point though. The worthwhile thing to blog about? The fact that my standing frame, an EasyStand 2400, still works as good as the day I got it. Now that’s something to write home about.

It can be a chore (at least for me) to work standing into my everyday, stressful schedule. As a freelance writer, a C6 quad, and someone who depends on PCA’s everyday (and does her own staffing to boot) my life is chock full of things that need to be taken care of. Taking a break from everything and putting things on hold as I stand for a 1/2 hour can feel counterproductive.

But at the heart of things I know it isn’t. In fact, after I stand I feel happier and ready to take on the day. Knowing my body is still able to stand is a huge ego-boost. Sounds silly, I know, but it’s the truth. So over the years I’ve learned how to multitask while standing. Just look at this pic taken this morning of me working on my laptop and drinking my morning coffee, all while I stand:

Here I am, drinking coffee and working on my laptop while standing in my EasyStand.

So in conclusion, it’s just a matter of life organization, in re: to working your stander into your life. It may feel like your dragging your sorry butt to the gym on a day you’d rather be in bed sleeping, but take it from me, it’ll still feel worth it when you’re done; and you’ll be very glad you did it. It’s a more-than-beneficial work-out.

I’m very lucky to have my standing frame, even if it’s over 10 years old. A standing frame may cost x number of dollars, but being able to stand? Priceless.

Therapists and parents around the globe have been waiting for the release of the EasyStand Bantam - the new EasyStand stander for kids! For the past few months, we have had some prototypes in select areas of the U.S. and have been gathering clinical and consumer feedback from the experts. Soon, we will be ready to make a formal introduction!

So here is a just a glimpse of the Bantam, some photos from our our recent photo shoots with Ryan Kane and Isabel Koegel. Aren’t they adorable? And yes, the stander is pretty cool, too!

• The Bantam will be at the Medtrade Show in Atlanta, GA on October 28-30th, 2008.
• It will be available in two sizes, extra small for kids 28″-40″ tall and up to 50 lbs., and small for kids 36″-54″ tall and up to 100 lbs.
• It will be available with standard planar seating, optional comfy-style seating, or a combination of both.
• The Bantam can be ordered with optional Supine Positioning, making it the only stander that combines sit to stand with supine!
• An optional Shadow Tray can be added to the Bantam for more support and a desk surface from sitting to standing.
• The standard unit will be very different from the EasyStand Magician, more on this later.

Watch for more information (literature, pricing, specifications, availability) to be on www.easystand.com around Medtrade! Pre-order Bantam literature and pricing and we will mail it to you when it is available. We will begin taking orders for the EasyStand Bantam in November 2008. In the meantime, leave us comments to tell us what you think!

This powerful and encapsulating commercial from Liberty Mutual shows the challenges a young woman in a wheelchair experiences, while going out to vote. Nothing stops her, including a car that won’t run, rainy weather, or an inaccessible polling place. This inspirational commercial stars our friend and EasyStand Glider owner, Teal Sherer.

Teal is an L.A. based actor, writer, and activist for performers with disabilities. You can read more about Teal’s story and ambitions on her website at www.tealsherer.com

This commercial is a great reminder to get out and vote, and not let small obstacles stop you from doing big things.

Have you run into accessibility issues at the polls? DontBlockMyVote.org helps to engage people with disabilities and their supporters in the election process.

Karly is a young woman with Rett Syndrome. Since she is unable to speak, she uses her blog “Inspired By Love” as a way to communicate. Karly is a passionate writer, who has the ability to draw you into her world using only words. She says, “I love to write. I am entering some of my writings into an event in our community in December. It was so fun last year to enter my poems and music.”

Karly also uses facilitated communication (FC) to speak to those around her. FC is a process by which a facilitator supports the hand or arm of an individual who is unable to speak while using a keyboard, helping the individual to communicate. Karly shares her experience with FC, “When I was 9 years old, I started communicating with support using a keyboard. Prior to that I had no way to share my thoughts, fears, pain, or wishes. When I started to use this method, there was so much excitement for me and my family.” Read Karly blog post “Facilitated Communication Saved My Life.”

We first met Karly a couple years ago at her school. She uses her EasyStand stander as a way to experience things around her and to improve her quality of life. She talks about how she uses her EasyStand Evolv, “I love my EasyStand. I stand for at least an hour everyday. If I could, I would stand more. It helps so much to get pressure off my back and hips. Now that I am out of school I use it when I listen to books on tape, in the kitchen so I can be near the food and even on the deck.” Read Karly’s Story on our website.

What is your experience with facilitated communication or other assisted communication devices? Are there any disability related blogs that you would like to share?

Stand Up & Breathe-Karly Wahlin’s Story-PDF

Visit other Rett Syndrome Blogs

Many of you have probably seen this video plastered across the Internet. It is the heart warming story about a dedicated father and his son, who is disabled and uses a wheelchair. The father and son duo have participated in hundreds of triathlons together. They have even participated in the toughest, most grueling triathlon, the Ironman. All this despite the dad’s heart condition, and the sons inability to walk, not to mention bike or swim.

According to the Youtube video, the story started like this:

A son asked his father, “Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?” The father, despite having a heart condition, said, “Yes”. They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son continued to join other marathons, the father always saying, “Yes” to his son’s request to go through the race together. One day, the son asked his father, ‘Dad, let’s join the Ironman together; to which his father said, “Yes”, too.

What a touching story about love, family, and the drive to fulfill our dreams in life, despite our physical limitations.