Gillette Healthcare, located here in Minnesota, has launched a new “Pity. It’s 100% Curable” Campaign. Here is what they say about it on www.curepity.org :
Gillette Healthcare is asking people to look beyond the disability with the "Pity. It's 100% Curable" campaign.
Most of our patients have medical conditions for which there are no cures. But through breakthrough surgeries and innovative medical treatments and therapies, we are able to help them overcome some of the barriers they face so they can lead more normal, joy-filled lives. That’s what we’re trying to communicate with this campaign. That Gillette does provide a cure for one of the most insidious human conditions of all—pity. We ask you to look beyond the disabilities and see the spirit, resiliency, and determination these children embody.
Click here to see some of the advertising for the “Pity. It’s 100% Curable” Campaign. Gillette also has some touching, engaging videos which highlights the struggles and triumphs of some of their kids. You can also read “A Physical Therapists Perspective on Standing“, written by Laura Gueron, PT at Gillette Lifetime Specialty Healthcare Clinic.
We have just completed this short video of the new EasyStand Bantam standing frame for kids. The video is an overview of the Bantam features, options, and benefits of standing for kids. This video below is from YouTube, but you can also find this video online at easystand.com on the Bantam page or the videos page. It is about five minutes long.
Here is Hope in the EasyStand Bantam with her Dad.
Last week, before the Thanksgiving holiday, we had the pleasure of doing a photo shoot with Hope Ringeisen in the new EasyStand Bantam. Hope is just 37″ tall and weighs 25 lbs. She fits into the EasyStand Bantam- extra small. Hope has a rare disorder called Opitz C Syndrome. She is a smart four year old girl who is a bundle of energy.
Watch for some more cute pictures of Hope in the coming weeks. She will be featured in our Holiday Giving Campaign, where (together with our customers, friends, and colleagues) we will try to raise $3000 for the United Cerebral Palsy.
Hi!My name is Ginny Paleg and I am a pediatric physical therapist in Maryland.My specialty is getting children with severe gross motor dysfunction (GMFCS Level IV and V) to take steps in gait trainers.To get to this goal, I use passive standing, body weight supported gait therapy over a treadmill, and am investigating passive/assisted cycling and vibration platforms.My “dissertation” (final project for my DScPT) was a systematic review on passive standing and a webinar presenting what I found.I sorted the articles by level of evidence, clinical outcomes, diagnosis, type of stander, and length of standing time.
I hope the flow charts can help folks decide how long to stand, which type of standing device to use, typical complications of standing, as well as appropriate measurable attainable clinical goals of standing.I included research studies on standing combined with oscillation, vibration, electrical stimulation and exercise programs.
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?
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!
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!
Playing while standing stimulates interaction, development, and fun.
Often we talk about what standing does for the body, but what is commonly overlooked, is what standing does for the mind. Standing is especially important for the mental development of the children with disabilities. When I talk to pediatric therapists, they appreciate and understand first-hand how standing can help with range of motion, spasticity, bowel/bladder function and the many of the other physical benefits of standing. But what I hear about most is how standing helps with perceptual development, cognitive awareness and very importantly, how standing can stimulate play. More and more research is finding that play deprivation for able-bodied children can lead to self-esteem, social interaction, and intellectual problems. The value of play for the child with a disability is often overlooked but is necessary for mental development and upper extremity muscle function and coordination. When a child is sitting for long periods of time, head and trunk control often fatigue and awareness diminishes. When a child stands with head control facilitated, play activities can be more stimulating and more interactive with peers, and the child can use their arms and hands more effectively.
As we understand that play is a necessary part of human development, it is obvious that play is also a great joy in life. As adults we should do our best to facilitate and provide play to all children. Here are some ideas of activities that a child can do while standing. What have you experienced regarding kids and play while standing?
Yesterday we had a photo shoot at a school with kindergartner Isabel Koegel. Isabel is adorable, and this is the second time we have met Isabel. The first time was a couple years ago, when we did a photo shoot of Isabel in Magician-ei. Now Isabel uses an Magician Comfy, not only at school, but she also just got a Magician Comfy for home. This photo shoot was for the upcoming EasyStand Bantam, and Isabel is our second child to have an official photo shoot in the Bantam stander (see also Ryan Kane EasyStand photo shoot). Isabel’s Mom and Grandma/PCA were also there, and it was neat to get photos of all three of them together.
The other cool thing about our day, was all of the other familiar faces that we saw, and the progress that they have made. We saw six other kids, who we have also been EasyStand models before. A couple of them were scooting around in walkers or standing up with little help. They all had grown so much and it was neat to see those familiar smiles!
Watch for more photos of the new EasyStand Bantam and Isabel soon!
On Wednesday, we went to Ryan Kane’s home to do a photo shoot with our new and upcoming pediatric stander, called the EasyStand Bantam, which is scheduled to be released this fall.
Ryan is very active, very smart, and has an adorable smile. His mom, Luann, has great things to share on how she works with Ryan and Ryan’s therapists to keep him the healthy, happy boy that he is.
Plan on seeing much more of Ryan and the new EasyStand Bantam in the months to come! And thank you Ryan for all that coffee!
The most enjoyable aspect of my job at EasyStand is seeing the reaction of people standing for the first time, or for the first time in many years. My last job was working for the ROHO Cushion Company where I was concentrating my attention on people’s butts, and now I am looking at smiling faces as they stand. The fun is also to see the reaction of others as the person comes to standing. I worked with a little boy at his kindergarten school, who we put in a Magician-ei Stander and the reaction of his teachers was tremendous. They ran down the hall to get other teachers and aids so they could show him standing. But the most fun was watching his classmates come up to him and interact in a totally different way than when he sat quietly in his wheelchair. I will also, never forget seeing a husband and wife looking eye-to-eye with great emotion when the husband stood in the Evolv Stander for the first time in over 8 years. Funding agencies do not give much credence to the psycho/social benefits of standing, only to the physical benefits. But as we all know, if you lose one, you will loose the other.
What reactions have your experienced when seeing someone stand for the first time or after a long period of time?
Find topics and personal stories on life in a wheelchair and disability, healthy living, the benefits of standing, and what's happening with EasyStand.
