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Nov 9 Update

By Bud | November 9, 2008

The past week has shown some small improvements. I say small but any improvement or sign of improvement is huge. On the LoKoMat this last week, they were able to take Peter down to where the machine was only doing 25% of the work with him supporting 90 lbs. of his own weight. They had tried to take him down to 30% with him supporting 122lbs of his own weight but he could not keep up and the machine shut down. Two weeks ago Peter was sitting up in his bed that reclines up. It was one of those days that we have here in OK that is cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon. Peter lowered the upper portion of his bed and then rolled to his right. I noticed on the sheets that he had perspired below his injury level to where it formed a V shape on the sheets. So this meant he had perspired to the top of his butt crack. When you have a spinal cord injury, you are not able to perspire below the injury level. The perspiration was below his injury level and there was no way for it to run down there from his upper back.  We have not said anything about it wanting to see if it happen again. Well this weekend I felt perspiration in the same area. We think some sensation is starting to return if ever so slight.
The LoKoMat is an awesome machine and I am a believer that one in Tulsa could help many people. It is not only for spinal cord injuries, it can help stroke victims, muscular dystrophy, ALS(Lou Gehrig disease), and many neuro-muscular diseases. Machines like this should be placed in facilities like the OU Med Center Health and Science Center where it can not only help victims, but train our future therapist. OU has a Physical therapy school here in Tulsa, Schusterman Center, and I am going to start the process of trying to obtain a machine for the Schusterman Center. I don’t have a clue how we will accomplish this feat, but I heard that Rome was not built in a day. Another project I want to work on is obtaining a pool like the one at Jenks High School that is more accessible to victims of the above diseases and injuries. You can go to www.hydroworx.com and view the features of the pool. Therapy like anything else has been commercialized and due to limits on insurance and people not able to afford out of pocket expenses, their rehab programs get discontinued. I know that if we stopped Peter’s rehab today, his condition would stall and there would be no chance of any recovery. I have vowed that no matter what I have to do that will not happen and if I can help others continue their therapy by making sure his therapy continues, then maybe this whole circumstance will have some meaning. Please pray for me to help me find the way to accomplish these task.
Last September I attended the annual fund raiser event for the Miami Project in New York City. Below is a news release of the event. All of this was organized by our good friend, Scott Roy, Director of Communications for the Miami Project. Peter was one of the victims of a spinal cord injury that was featured in their video narrated by Bob Costas. The first young lady featured in the video is Ashley Moore, daughter of Lisa and David Moore. David is an associate of mine in Florida through American National Insurance Company. David has been very instrumental in helping us and getting us involved with the Miami Project and I can not thank him enough for this and the encouragement he has given us. Read the article and then you can click on The Miami Project under the heading New Websites Launched.  This will take you to the home page of The Miami Project. Click on News and Media, click on Multi-Media and then click on Raise Me Up and you will be able to view the video featuring Ashley and Peter. Keep Ashley and her family in your prayers. With the research that The Miami Project is doing and the advancements they have accomplished we know that………………………………………….
He will walk again.
Bud
Enjoy Below

THE CONNECTION ~ NOVEMBER 2008

THE 23rd ANNUAL GREAT SPORTS LEGENDS DINNER TO BENEFIT THE BUONICONTI FUND TO CURE PARALYSIS

Emceed by Bob Costas, Jerry Rice, Andre Agassi, Scottie Pippen, Joe Gibbs,
Helio Castroneves, Richard “Goose” Gossage, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini,
Angelo Dundee, Gabrielle Reece and Christine Lynn Honored.


2008 Sports Legends and Honorees with
Nick and Marc Buoniconti

New York, NY (Sept 22, 2008) – NFL Hall of Famer Nick Buoniconti and his son Marc hosted a sold out event, the 23rd Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner, at the Waldorf=Astoria to benefit The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis. They were joined by sports heroes, philanthropic icons and business leaders who were out in full force to support paralysis research. The 2008 Great Sports Legend honorees were Jerry Rice, Andre Agassi, Scottie Pippen, Joe Gibbs, Helio Castroneves, Richard “Goose” Gossage, Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini, Angelo Dundee and Gabrielle Reece. South Florida philanthropist Christine Lynn received The Buoniconti Fund Award. Special guest and emcee was sports broadcaster and Buoniconti Fund supporter, Bob Costas. The evening raised over $7 million for the spinal cord injury research programs at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.

“This dinner and the support we continue to receive from the best of the best in sports, business, entertainment and philanthropy continues to raise my spirits and that of the researchers at The Miami Project. In turn, that support fuels research and raises the spirits of the millions worldwide who live daily with paralysis because we know that, with clinical trials on the horizon, the day will soon come when they will be raised up from their wheelchairs to walk side by side with us again,” said an emotional Nick Buoniconti.Read more…

CURRENT CLINICAL STUDIES
The Miami Project has many current studies that involve research volunteers. This month, we highlight a study conducted by Dr. Edelle Field-Fote and colleagues entitled Improving Arm and Hand Function in Individuals with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI). This 5-year study is funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Various rehabilitation techniques improve motor skills and strength in individuals with hand dysfunction following nervous system injury. Massed practice (repetitive task-based exercise), electrical stimulation (pulses of electricity applied over the skin) and strength training (exercise with weights) have all been associated with improvements in a persons’ ability to use their arms and hands after stroke and SCI. However, there have been no comparisons to determine whether one form of training is better than the others for improving function in people with SCI.

The Miami Project is conducting a study to examine the impact of strength training, electrical stimulation, or massed practice combined with electrical stimulation on improvements in pinch strength and upper extremity function in people with SCI. People between the ages of 16 and 65 with chronic cervical SCI who meet the inclusion criteria are eligible to participate in the study. Research volunteers are randomly assigned to one of the three training groups. Study-related activities are scheduled daily for 6 weeks. For further information, call Joyce Gomes, Research Associate, at 305-243-7118.

Many people with spinal cord injury have expressed the desire to serve as research volunteers for Miami Project studies. We appreciate this enthusiasm because willing and eligible research volunteers are an important part of the clinical research process. Research volunteers are helping Miami Project researchers improve the understanding of various complications of SCI, such as pain, spasticity, sexual function and fertility. They have also helped demonstrate the effects of functional electrical stimulation-assisted walking in people with complete paraplegia as well as the rehabilitative benefits of body weight support gait training in incomplete SCI. Thanks to committed and dedicated research volunteers, Miami Project clinical researchers are making progress toward improving the medical treatments and rehabilitative care available today.

NEW WEBSITES LAUNCHED
The Miami Project and The Buoniconti Fund have embarked on a new, innovative website presence. Our new highly interactive websites will show our constituents and new visitors that we have a website that matches the organizations’ status. Our visitors will become part of our community and feel welcome.

Users will enjoy the convenience of self-service options including profile updates, research participant intake forms, online donations, sponsorships, event registrations and more.

The new websites provide a more user friendly environment for information about the research ongoing at The Miami Project, tools and resources for those in the spinal cord injured community, allow for detailed search results, upcoming events, lectures and much more.

We invite you visit The Miami Project and The Buoniconti Fund today!

NATIONAL CHAPTERS OF THE BUONICONTI FUND
The Buoniconti Fund’s Chapters wrapped up the season with many events and awareness campaigns across the country to support the vital research at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis.

The Miami Chapter partnered with Coral Gables to host a series of events, the Battle of the Chefs, which allowed guests to watch competing local chefs and raise money for a great cause.

The Charleston Chapter just hosted its “Buoniconti Golf & Tailgate Weekend 2008” on October 10-11 to benefit the Marc A. Buoniconti Fund football scholarship at The Citadel and The Buoniconti Fund. This year’s partnership with The Citadel Foundation brought national and local guests for a weekend of good times and awareness.

We also hosted many annual events including the Cleveland golf tournament, Orlando That 70’s Party, Baltimore Crabfeast and Southeast Michigan’s team in the Detroit Marathon.

A highlight this summer was the Chapters Summit 2008, where nearly 100 volunteers and sponsors came to tour and experience The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, interact and learn from each other, and celebrate our efforts. We hosted the first live broadcast of the Scientific Update during the Summit.

If you’d like to be more involved in your local Chapter, please contact the Director of National Chapters, Kristin Wherry, at bfchapters@med.miami.edu.

UPCOMING EVENTS
Check out the newly redesigned website for our Events Calendar and be sure to join us for these events in your community:

2008
November 8 ~ Cleveland Chapter Reverse Raffle at LaVera in Willoughby Hills, Ohio
November 20 ~ Philadelphia Chapter 5th Annual Raise a Glass for the Cure at Citizen’s Bank Park (home of the World Series 2008 winning Phillies team)
November 20 ~ Women’s Guild Miami Beaujolais Nouveau Release Party at Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Miami
November 22 ~ Pittsburgh Chapter Night at the Races at the Alpine Club in Bridgeville, Pennsylvania
December 4 ~ Chicago Chapter’s 10th Annual Indulgence Night at Sofitel Water Tower Hotel
December 6 ~ Tampa Chapter’s Golf Tournament presented by INVEST Financial Corporation at Westchase Golf Club

2009
March 7 ~ Destination Fashion at Bal Harbour Shops in Miami
April 26 - 27 ~ Seventh Annual Buoniconti Fund Celebrity Golf Invitational at The Bear’s Club in Jupiter, Florida
October 6 ~ Twenty Fourth Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner at the Waldorf=Astoria in New York City

CONTACT US
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STAFF CONTACTS
Suzie Sayfie, Executive Director (305) 243-7146
Diana Berning, Administrative Director (305) 243-7154
Stephanie Sayfie Aagaard, Director, Major Gifts, Corporate Relations,
Marketing & Events (305) 243-7146
Maria Amador, Director, Education, Program Information & Referral (305) 243-7108
Teri Bendell, Director, Web Services, Auction & Database Management
(305) 243-2267
Megan Hess Director, Annual Giving (305) 243-7159
Randy Medenwald, Director, Government Relations (305) 243-7147
Scott Roy, Director, Communications (305) 243-8393
Francine Schoen, Director, Foundation Relations (305) 243-8311
Kristin Wherry, Director, National Chapters (305) 243-3863

Topics: Peter |

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