by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Rob Wudlick

Even though he’s only 30 years old, Rob Wudlick’s journey since his spinal cord injury has been one-of-the kind. A fresh SCI research advocate, newly injured people like Rob are refusing to accept spinal cord injuries as permanent, and what they’re doing to help the SCI community is helping in big ways.

Other than working out since his injury using activity-based therapy (and being one of the most positive guys in the gym), he’s a founding member and Chairman of the Board for a nonprofit dedicated to curing spinal cord injury, Get Up Stand Up (GUSU), and is busy hitting the pavement at Capitol Hill (in his home state or in DC) whenever he can. Read on for a snapshot into the life of an unexpected advocate. Read the rest

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Dr. Susan Harkema

We have many heroes in the spinal cord injury community, notably the rockstar SCI researchers. One of the most promising researchers is Dr. Susan Harkema, Director of the Neurorecovery Network, Rehabilitation Research Director of the Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center at the University of Louisville and the Director of Research at Frazier Rehab Institute.

Dr. Harkema is the researcher who discovered that electrically stimulating the spinal cord can help us move our legs again. Yes, she has one amazing mind. From Katie to the Today Show, she has been featured all over the media and is the leading SCI researcher to know.

But research wasn’t always on her radar. From a career she thought was headed towards athletic training, Michigan-born Harkema was lured to the warmer weather of California where she discovered a passion for spinal cord injury research, and the rest as they say is history.

Read on to see how Dr. Harkema’s determination to find a workable cure may just land her in the history books

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Jenny Addis

Don’t be fooled by Jenny Addis’ sweet smile and gentle demeanor, or even the fact she’s a Midwestern lady from Wisconsin. A quadriplegic for nearly 20 years, Jenny is one of the loudest trailblazers in Wisconsin’s disability community.

The founder of “This Is How We Roll” fashion show, a fundraiser for spinal cord injury research, as well as an outdoors lover who won the 2011 National Park Service Award for her work on creating accessible trails in Wisconsin, Jenny’s wheels barely rest and that’s exactly how she likes it. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Roman Reed

There is no doubt Roman Reed is one of the greatest patient advocates for spinal cord injury research currently alive. Destined to play in the NFL, when his life took the paralysis U-turn, he did what any true superstar would do – he went on to dedicate his life to a finding a cure for spinal cord injuries, and he’s still going strong.

Roman’s now near 20 year journey of living with a spinal cord injury has resulted in millions of dollars in research and funding money to find a cure for spinal cord injuries; the hard work he’s put towards this goal has been astounding. Read on to learn the back story on renowned spinal cord injury patient advocate, Roman Reed. Read this entry

by Tiff -

SCI Superstar: Francesco Clark

Founder and President of Clark’s Botanicals, an award-winning skincare company with products that have been featured in Allure, In-Style, and The New York Times (just to name a few publications) and the author of Walking Papers: The Accident that Changed My Life, and the Business that Got Me Back on My Feet.

Francesco is making the world beautiful and helping to heal it, all in one fell swoop. Read this entry on SPINALpedia