Walking Rehab for Samantha
Donation protected
(In order to be completely transparent, I would like to inform my donors that my significant other, Kyle Reitz, is accepting the funds on my behalf. I have full trust and respect for him, as should you.)
Nearly 12 years ago, a week before Christmas, I, Samantha, was driving to UW-Milwaukee to finish my sophomore fall semester. On my way there I came to an intersection where I had a green light, my memory of that day ends there. The only part that is clearest is my excitement to have a green light, then glancing at my friend, Sarah, in the passenger seat. She had only fear on her face, I asked, “what’s wrong?”
Sarah had a direct view of a car about to T-bone the driver’s side of my car. Upon impact my door was ripped off and I was thrown from the vehicle. My body barrel rolled across the intersection, coming to a stop on the sidewalk. I had sustained a spinal cord (SCI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), broken ribs and nose, a 12 inch laceration around the crown of my head, and road rash to my face and hands.
While I lay out in the cold on the sidewalk, my heart and lungs stopped working and bystanders covered me with blankets. I could have died that day and I know exactly why I survived, the paramedics. I owe my life to the men and women that had just as much of a will for me to live as I did. Strangers came to my aid; which is a constant reminder of the humanity that is within us all. The journey from that winder day, on December 18th, 2006, has been one of much loss, but even more gain. My whole life was altered and I struggled with it for a short time. Then I discovered the gifts beneath all the pain.
At the hospital it was discovered that my SCI was to the C1-C2 of the cervical spine. That area of the spine being injured can give a negative outlook for regaining mobility. The higher the injury to the spine the more function is lost. I woke up paralyzed from the neck down, hooked up to a ventilator breathing for me, and no memory of the rest of December. That feeling will remain with me forever.
The amount of mobility I have gained since has been slow, but this progress was going up against the knowledge that I would probably never have the ability to move even one limb normally. I cannot begin to recount all that I went through without needing to write a book. I will summarize that it involved commitment to years of physical and occupational therapy, followed up with a consistent fitness routine, 2-3 days a week, at the YMCA.
Fast forward 11 years, and I have come to the point of nearly being able to walk. I am teetering on the edge of walking unassisted. I need a push by something to beak the spasticity that holds my left side back. Ever so close to becoming a walking quadriplegic, a friend who is one, referred me to a research study he found on clinicaltrials.gov called, “Walking Rehabilitation After Spinal Cord Injury: Locomotor Training Using Adaptive Robotics . ” It took me a few weeks to dwell on the idea, because it involves going to The Brooks Institute, in Jacksonville, Florida for 3 months. After some thought and research I decided to make the call to the therapists in charge of the study. I explained my progress over these 11 years and did a video call so they could see it for themselves. I was then accepted as an ideal candidate.
Unfortunately, since the Cyberdyne exoskeleton is already clinically approved, I was told I would need $30,000 in total to take part in the study. I was given a list of organizations that provide SCI/disabled people grants. I found out getting a grant for something that is not a necessity item is hard. I was denied or did not qualify for this form of financial assistance. So it has come to be my responsibility to acquire the funds myself. My “plan B” brought me to GoFundMe to rely on the support of strangers again. This journey I am on is real and is not ending with me in a wheelchair forever. Please give my feet the chance to explore the world again. This is not just an opportunity for myself, but to help prove to insurance companies that this is an effective form of rehab for everyone to have access to. My participation may help others with spinal cord injuries get on the road to recovery much faster than I was able to.    
Nearly 12 years ago, a week before Christmas, I, Samantha, was driving to UW-Milwaukee to finish my sophomore fall semester. On my way there I came to an intersection where I had a green light, my memory of that day ends there. The only part that is clearest is my excitement to have a green light, then glancing at my friend, Sarah, in the passenger seat. She had only fear on her face, I asked, “what’s wrong?”
Sarah had a direct view of a car about to T-bone the driver’s side of my car. Upon impact my door was ripped off and I was thrown from the vehicle. My body barrel rolled across the intersection, coming to a stop on the sidewalk. I had sustained a spinal cord (SCI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), broken ribs and nose, a 12 inch laceration around the crown of my head, and road rash to my face and hands.
While I lay out in the cold on the sidewalk, my heart and lungs stopped working and bystanders covered me with blankets. I could have died that day and I know exactly why I survived, the paramedics. I owe my life to the men and women that had just as much of a will for me to live as I did. Strangers came to my aid; which is a constant reminder of the humanity that is within us all. The journey from that winder day, on December 18th, 2006, has been one of much loss, but even more gain. My whole life was altered and I struggled with it for a short time. Then I discovered the gifts beneath all the pain.
At the hospital it was discovered that my SCI was to the C1-C2 of the cervical spine. That area of the spine being injured can give a negative outlook for regaining mobility. The higher the injury to the spine the more function is lost. I woke up paralyzed from the neck down, hooked up to a ventilator breathing for me, and no memory of the rest of December. That feeling will remain with me forever.
The amount of mobility I have gained since has been slow, but this progress was going up against the knowledge that I would probably never have the ability to move even one limb normally. I cannot begin to recount all that I went through without needing to write a book. I will summarize that it involved commitment to years of physical and occupational therapy, followed up with a consistent fitness routine, 2-3 days a week, at the YMCA.
Fast forward 11 years, and I have come to the point of nearly being able to walk. I am teetering on the edge of walking unassisted. I need a push by something to beak the spasticity that holds my left side back. Ever so close to becoming a walking quadriplegic, a friend who is one, referred me to a research study he found on clinicaltrials.gov called, “Walking Rehabilitation After Spinal Cord Injury: Locomotor Training Using Adaptive Robotics . ” It took me a few weeks to dwell on the idea, because it involves going to The Brooks Institute, in Jacksonville, Florida for 3 months. After some thought and research I decided to make the call to the therapists in charge of the study. I explained my progress over these 11 years and did a video call so they could see it for themselves. I was then accepted as an ideal candidate.
Unfortunately, since the Cyberdyne exoskeleton is already clinically approved, I was told I would need $30,000 in total to take part in the study. I was given a list of organizations that provide SCI/disabled people grants. I found out getting a grant for something that is not a necessity item is hard. I was denied or did not qualify for this form of financial assistance. So it has come to be my responsibility to acquire the funds myself. My “plan B” brought me to GoFundMe to rely on the support of strangers again. This journey I am on is real and is not ending with me in a wheelchair forever. Please give my feet the chance to explore the world again. This is not just an opportunity for myself, but to help prove to insurance companies that this is an effective form of rehab for everyone to have access to. My participation may help others with spinal cord injuries get on the road to recovery much faster than I was able to.    
Organizer and beneficiary
Samantha Troyer
Organizer
Oconomowoc, WI
Kyle Reitz
Beneficiary
