Ray Himber: The Healing Power of Family and Community

April 29, 2020

By Mallory Houston, Research Assistant, Center for Traumatic Brain Injury Research, Kessler Foundation

Snowmobiling was one of Ray Himber’s favorite sports. The former auto mechanic always enjoyed riding across the snow-covered terrain with his family and friends – until January 6, 1996, when a snowmobiling accident changed his life forever. He sustained a traumatic brain injury, was airlifted to Wilson Medical Center near Binghamton, N.Y., and remained in a coma for seven weeks. When he emerged, Ray was unable to walk or speak. He couldn’t swallow   and eat. His prognosis was poor. Ray’s mother and primary caregiver, Maria, described the experience in one word: “Devastating.”

Ray was eventually transferred to Children’s Specialized

Caregiving for Persons with Traumatic Brain Injury while Sheltering in Place for COVID-19

April 17, 2020

In this episode of Kessler Foundation's podcast, Nancy Chiaravalloti, PhD, Denise Krch, PhD, and Erica Weber, PhD, share information about "Caregiving for Persons with Traumatic Brain Injury while Sheltering in Place for COVID-19." Dr. Chiaravalloti is the director of the Centers for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research and Traumatic Brain Injury Research at Kessler Foundation, Dr. Krch is a senior research scientist and Dr. Weber is a research scientist at the Center for Traumatic Brain Injury Research. 

 

 

Listen to the

Social Distancing with MS or a TBI: Difficulties with Being Too Close and Too Far

April 15, 2020

In this episode of Kessler Foundation's podcast, Helen Genova, PhD, and Erica Weber, PhD, share information about “Social distancing with MS or a TBI: Difficulties with being too close and too far.”

 

At the Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research at Kessler Foundation, Dr. Genova is the assistant director, who researches social cognition and emotion recognition in neurological disorders. Dr. Weber is a research scientist and clinical neuropsychologist in the Center for Traumatic Brain Injury. This podcast was hosted by our social media specialist Nicky Miller and Dr. Weber. 

Listen to the podcast, 

Moving Research Forward While Staying Home: The Past, Present, and Future of Rehabilitation Research

April 15, 2020

 

In this episode of Kessler Foundation's podcast, Olga Boukrina, PhD, Nuri Erkut Kucukboyaci, PhD, and Ekaterina Dobryakova, PhD, share information about "Moving Research Forward While Staying Home: The Past, Present, and Future of Rehabilitation Research." 

 

 

Listen to the podcast, view the transcript and download

COVID-19 Employment Resources

April 14, 2020

By Nicky Miller 

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a great economic impact, leaving millions of Americans unemployed. Throughout this challenging time, we understand the need and importance of helpful and reliable employment resources and information.

Below is a list of resources for various needs and assistance that may be useful to you, your employers or family members. Please know that you are not alone, we will get through this together.

 

Employment Benefits Resources

COVID-19 Scenarios and Benefits Available Unemployment Insurance

COVID-19 and Spinal Cord Injury: Minimizing Risks for Complications

April 7, 2020

A high proportion of the United States population could become infected with the virus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). People with disabilities like spinal cord injury (SCI) may be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness. A number of COVID-19 related resources are available for people with SCI and are provided below.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Unfortunately, due to paralysis of chest and abdominal muscles, many people with SCI have an impaired ability to take a deep breath and generate a strong cough. Furthermore, a weak cough may make it difficult to clear airway secretions, increasing the risk for respiratory complications if one becomes infected with COVID-19.

Fortunately,

Managing Children with Autism while Sheltering from COVID-19: Advice for Parents

April 2, 2020

 

In this episode of Kessler Foundation's podcast, Dr. Helen Genova, director of the Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research at Kessler Foundation and Dr. Regina Peter, director of Newmark Education, share practical tips to survive the COVID-19 pandemic to help educators and parents of children with autism. They spoke to Nicky Miller, the foundation’s social media specialist.

Audio Description

Practical Tips to Help Survive the COVID-19 Pandemic as a Parent of a Child with Autism

 

Listen to the podcast,

Improving Economic Outcomes for Children with Disabilities and their Families: Preliminary Findings from the PROMISE Project

April 2, 2020

By Carolann Murphy, PA

Achieving independence is a complicated pathway for youth with disabilities, a group that has low graduation rates and difficulties transitioning to postsecondary education and the workforce. This is true especially for recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI), who reach a crossroads at age 18 when their future eligibility is redetermined using adult criteria for gainful employment. More than 60% qualify for SSI as adults, leading to widespread long-term dependence on SSI, and contributing to the high poverty rates in this population.           

To improve socioeconomic outcomes among these high-risk youth and their families, a five-year, $236 million randomized controlled trial was launched in 2013, called PROMISE – Promoting Readiness of

How governments should maintain disability services during the pandemic

March 26, 2020

Blog credit: Ari Ne'eman - Spectrum News

COVID-19 has descended. To save lives and mitigate the burden on the U.S. healthcare system, we must shelter in place.

But where does that leave people with disabilities, especially the many who need special services and service providers to survive?

To contain the pandemic, governments have, for good reason, promoted containment measures such as sheltering in place and social distancing — staying away from other people to avoid spreading infection. But as Catalina Devandas Aguilar, the United Nations

Tune In - Watch the Opening of the Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation

March 23, 2020

During the challenging and uncertain times in which we find ourselves, please know that all of us at Kessler Foundation express our deep concern for you and your family and wish you peace and good health.

We are truly grateful for your commitment to rehabilitation research and employment for people with disabilities. You can learn about the impact of your support by tuning in tomorrow, March 25, for a half-hour special on One-on-One with Steve Adubato at 7 PM on NJTV, and at 12:30 AM on WNET/Thirteen, which was recorded at the January 24 opening of the Tim and Caroline Reynolds Center for Spinal Stimulation at Kessler Foundation.

You, Kessler Foundation, and COVID-19

March 19, 2020

During the challenging and uncertain times in which we find ourselves, please know that all of us at Kessler Foundation express our deep concern for you and your family and wish you peace and good health. The health and safety of our employees and research participants are of paramount importance. Therefore, in response to COVID-19, all Kessler Foundation employees are encouraged to work remotely, focusing on work that does not require physical contact with research participants, many of whom may be at greater risk for complications associated with coronavirus.

We are truly grateful for your commitment to rehabilitation research and employment for people with disabilities. You can learn more about the impact

Clinical Mentorship Program for Psychology and Graduate Students

March 4, 2020

About the Mentorship 

In collaboration with Kessler Foundation, the National MS Society offers a three-week clinical mentorship
experience for a psychology graduate student who has completed at least one year of their graduate program. The program will introduce
diagnosis and comprehensive management of patients with multiple sclerosis and focus on neurocognitive, mood and other psychosocial issues.

The mentorship is available in June 2020. The selected student will receive a $2000 award.

 

How to Apply

Application deadline: April 1, 2020

3 Ways You Can Build A Legacy

March 2, 2020

Did you know that there are three ways you can make a big difference today and drive the future of rehabilitation research and employment for people with disabilities?

By including Kessler Foundation in your estate plans today, you can make a lasting impact and build a legacy of helping people with disabilities live to the fullest in the future.

Legacy giving may have important financial advantages for you and your heirs, and often costs nothing during your lifetime.

Here are three ways to build your legacy of helping people with disabilities:

Include a bequest to Kessler Foundation in your will or living trust: Your estate will earn a federal

Nurse’s Corner: Stay in the Know About H2O

February 28, 2020

By Daryl Blewett, MSN, RN, CRRN, and Bonnie Tillman, BSN, RN, CRRN

Often, we do not think about water until we feel like we ran a marathon and have an unquenchable thirst. What happens next? We chug a few glasses of water as if it’s the last time we may ever see water again.

There are many excuses we use as to why we do not drink enough water. We have all said them:

“I just don’t have enough time.” “I just don’t like the taste of water.” “I’m not thirsty.” “It’s hard drinking the recommended amount of water each day.”

Did you know that when we are thirsty, it is our body telling us it is dehydrated? Waiting for our body to tell us when we are thirsty only increases the chances of having severe

Healing After Traumatic Brain Injury

February 19, 2020

With your support, 15 year old Tyler Brown walks again—one (robotic exoskeleton) step at a time.

One day after school, Tyler Brown and his twin brother, Kevin, were walking along a busy street when they were struck by a car. Though Kevin was hit first, his injuries were not as grave as Tyler’s. Tyler sustained multiple broken bones, severe internal bleeding, organ damage, and a traumatic brain injury.

“The trauma team wasn’t sure Tyler would make it,” recalls Liz Brown, the twins’ mother.  “If you told me he would walk again, I wouldn’t have believed it,” says Liz. But thanks to donors like you, Tyler experienced the powerful combination of one-on-one physical therapy and the latest robotic exoskeleton technology as part of a Kessler Foundation research study. By walking