Science Geek Turns Soldier for Cure
When a deer jumped in front of her Honda Pilot during an early drive to work, Lynne Dorr, 47, of Blaine, Minn., suddenly found herself a C4-6 quad. Since becoming paralyzed, she has focused on trying to find a cure. A single mom who worked tirelessly for the National Bone Marrow Program before her injury, Dorr grew up learning anything she could about medicine and biology. “I’m a science geek by nature and I believe in medicine and technology.” She says that she believes science will one day bring about treatments “to give me back use of my body.”

A bachelor’s in biology helped Dorr get her former position, a job she misses, but she continues to stay retired and is focusing on her next career goal — becoming an advocate for the cure. “Right now I’m starting an online program with the University of Phoenix to obtain a bachelor’s degree in communication with an emphasis in communication and technology.”

Her goal is to use her latest education, along with the biology degree, and combine that with her 20-plus years of learning about science and research, to help educate people about spinal cord injury as well as advocate for research and a cure.

Dorr has also been actively involved with the group behind the effort to bring publicly funded SCI research to Minnesota — Get Up Stand Up 4 Cure. Their $4 million bill failed to pass last year, but they hope for a second chance in 2014. “People wanting to help can keep an eye on the research and follow my blog at PoundThePavement.org,” says Dorr.

She is also helping raise money for the Morton Cure Paralysis Fund and has a fundraiser on Crowdrise.com. If interested in donating, visit: crowdrise.com/2DC4SCI/fundraiser/2DC4SCI.

Vibrating Galileo Gets You Standing
Interested in managing spasticity, building up muscle function and increasing bone density? Watch out, SCI survivors, you’re about to add a new product to your “must have” list — the Galileo.

StimDesigns brings you this brand new way of looking at neuromuscular recovery and neural communication. Galileo-Training puts muscles through thousands of contractions in a matter of minutes. The seesaw motion pattern simulates the muscles used in the natural human gait, causing a tilting movement of the pelvis, similar to walking but at a more rapid pace. Muscles in the legs and all the way up to the trunk are targeted and trained for health and preparation for walking.

Galileo systems are built into a full line of platforms for standing, tilt-tables, chairs for sitting, and dumbbells for hand, arm and shoulder activity. Now this is what I call a true full body workout!

Learn more: stimdesigns.com

‘A Day in My Wheels’ Blog
Blogs give a peek into all sorts of lives, and the “A Day In My Wheels” blog from Chloe, a quad in England, shows just how everything in her life has changed since becoming paralyzed. Heavy on fashion and food posts, this happy, 20-something young woman’s blog shows us how life can go on in a fabulous way after a C4-6 SCI.
www.adayinmywheels.com