Moving On 2017

The Power of Art 22

MOVIN’ ON Colin’s Class 8 Family Support After Brain Injury 12 Alumni Stories + More VOLUME 33, NUMBER 1 • 2017

Dear Friends, Movin’ On is published two times a year by Craig Hospital in an effort to share the stories of the patients and families who pass through our doors. Craig Hospital sees patients from nearly every state each year.

It is our hope to empower and educate people about catastrophic injury, prevention and care.

Craig Hospital is licensed by the state of Colorado and accredited

by The Joint Commission. Craig Hospital is located in Englewood, Colorado, a suburb of Denver.

It is world-renowned for specialty rehabilitation and research for patients with spinal cord injury and brain injury.

PRESIDENT Michael L. Fordyce MEDICAL DIRECTOR Thomas E. Balazy, MD EDITOR Lisa Stites CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jordan Ames Spencer Fortier Alannah Smith PHOTOGRAPHER Kayla Lawson DESIGN The Write Design

On the cover: Jennifer Radil explores life through making art.

PHOTO BY TODD MERCURAL-CHAPMAN

© 2017, Craig Hospital 3425 S. Clarkson Street Englewood, CO 80113-2811 303.789.8000 www.craighospital.org

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MOVIN’ ON

When I think of Craig Hospital, I think of community.

Our community was built within these walls, but extends across the country and even the world. Craig’s community is inclusive and is rich in creative, giving, and strong people who reach out to support each other.

We are halfway through another year and already have much to reflect on.

As you will read in this issue of Movin’ On, our community is keeping busy. From the work of our renowned research department to the fundraising efforts of our foundation, from the partnerships with Our patients inspire us every day. See page 26. organizations like the High Fives Foundation to the exciting stories shared by the people who move on from Craig, we are proud and humbled by everything our patients, staff, families, volunteers, and donors do every day.

This year, Craig’s community raised $1.8 million at the PUSH Gala, which funds Craig’s special programs and research and helps enhance the lives of people living with spinal cord and brain injuries.

Our research department is conducting dozens of studies, including a groundbreaking study on how sleep affects people with traumatic brain injury.

And as you will read in this issue, our grads continue to empower others through their hard work and strong desire to give back.

I hope you enjoy their stories and feel emboldened to make an impact in any way you can.

If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to visit teamcraig.org to learn about unique ways you can help support our Craig community.

Warm regards, Mike Fordyce President and CEO

Craig is a national center of excellence that provides specialized and comprehensive rehabilitation and research for individuals and their families who are affected by spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury.

Craig is a federally designated SCI and TBI Model System by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) and a Magnet® Recognized Hospital, 2005–2010, 2010–2015 and 2015–2020. Craig treats patients from nearly every state each year.

CONTENTS

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A Woman of Courage

Craig is a nonprofit, freestanding hospital committed to providing the highest-quality treatment available.

Our staff commitment and expertise, clinical excellence, state-of-the-art facilities and programs, and personal caring make us uniquely qualified to meet this commitment.

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The Power of Art

ENTHUSIASM Meeting Malebogo Molefhe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Daniels Fund Equipment Grant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 WISDOM Lester Butt, PhD Retires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Colin’s Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 CRAIG MOMENTS Teen Program (TRAC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 The Value of Family Caregivers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 PROGRESS Craig Empowerment Center at CR Johnson Healing Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Research Study: Optimizing Sleep During Early Brain Injury Recovery . . . . . . . . 18 2017 PUSH Gala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Faith Leaders Visit Craig . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 INSPIRATION The Power of Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Alumni Updates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 LOOKING AHEAD Make an Impact through TeamCraig.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Pedal 4 Possible 2017 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Rehabilitation • Inpatient Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Programs • Inpatient Ventilator Dependent and Weaning Programs • Outpatient Re-evaluation Programs • Outpatient Therapy and Follow-up Clinic Services • Medical and Surgical Programs • Rehabilitative Neurosurgical Programs Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Rehabilitation • Inpatient Brain Injury Rehabilitation • Outpatient Brain Injury Programs PEAK Center at Craig Hospital • Wellness and Fitness Center SCI and TBI Research • Federally designated Model System for SCI and TBI by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) • TBI Model Systems National Data and Statistical Center Craig Hospital Foundation • Supporting Craig Hospital’s patients, programs, and facilities If you are interested in making a patient referral to Craig, please contact Laura Brown, admissions director, at 303-789-8344 or admissions@craighospital.org.

If you would like to make a donation or would like information about planned giving, please contact the Craig Hospital Foundation office at 303-789-8650.

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Meeting Malebogo Molefhe

CRAIG WELCOMES INTERNATIONAL WOMEN OF COURAGE AWARD WINNER FOR TOUR Craig Hospital welcomed Malebogo Molefhe from Botswana for a tour on April 4, as part of an international visit related to her acceptance of the U.S. Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award (IWOC) in Washington, D.C.

“The rate of gender-based violence is just too much. We continue to lose girls every day. It’s very important for me to speak out and raise awareness and teach and educate young girls the importance of good relations,” Malebogo says.

Malebogo has dedicated her life to teaching young girls to stand up to harmful gender stereotypes and domestic abuse. A former national basketball player for Botswana, Malebogo was brutally assaulted and shot eight times by an ex-boyfriend and was paralyzed. She was awarded the IWOC, along with 12 other women from around the world, for demonstrating “exceptional courage, strength, and leadership in acting to improve others’ lives.”

Malebogo toured the hospital and met with patients.

During the tour, she broke down in tears. “I’m trying to compare where I come from with the kind of therapy offered. Here, I’ve seen one of the best hospitals, with state-of-the-art equipment. I was kind of really, really emotional. It’s really incredible.

I think the work that is being done here is amazing.

It gives people the true sense of a second chance,” she says.

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ENTHUSIASM

I think the work that is being done here is amazing. It gives people the true sense of a second chance.

—Malebogo Molefhe

During Malebogo’s visit, Craig staff noticed her wheelchair wasn’t properly fitted for her. The hospital donated a new wheelchair to her and included a custom fitting in Craig’s Wheelchair Clinic.

“It’s overwhelming. I’m just very happy. I needed this comfort,” says Malebogo. “[My old chair], it’s old and heavy, and this one is new and lighter and more beautiful. I feel really comfortable, which is the best thing. Also for my back, I feel quite rested,” she says.

Malebogo Molefhe, pictured here, toured Craig Hospital in April as part of an international visit. She met with patients and therapists, received a new wheelchair and a custom fitting in Craig’s Wheelchair Clinic, and even saw snow for the first time.

Malebogo says she would love to see the opportunities available to Craig patients in her own country, and she hopes to take some ideas home. During her time in the U.S. she also met with domestic abuse survivors and shared her message with others.

Malebogo’s visit was also the first time she had ever seen snow. “That was just beautiful. I am so impressed. It was the first time to see it. I wish I could carry it with me. I love being here and the people are very kind. I’m really, really grateful for the opportunity,” she says.

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DANIELS FUND EQUIPMENT GRANT PROVIDES PATH TO INDEPENDENCE FOR CRAIG PATIENTS The Daniels Fund, a Denverbased grant-making organization, recently awarded the Craig Foundation $345,000 for hospital and patient equipment.

Of that, $245,000 will be used to upgrade Craig’s rehabilitative equipment.

With the funds, Craig will purchase an upgraded Ekso Bionics robotic exoskeleton that enables intensive over-ground gait training to support patients as they relearn correct step patterns and weight shifts. The upgraded Ekso offers a variable assist feature that will make exoskeleton training more applicable to the brain injury and stroke population. This feature has the capability to adjust the specific amount of force/activation that a patient can produce, giving only as much support as the patient needs to walk. The upgraded system will better engage patients by challenging their abilities, balancing the physical effort they exert with the amount of help they need to achieve a more normalized gait.

Craig will also purchase eight Xcite FES (functional electrical stimulation) systems. Recently approved by the FDA, the Xcite is the latest in FES-powered therapy systems. FES is a physical and occupational therapy rehabilitation modality used to evoke functional movements and exercise not otherwise possible for individuals with a neurological impairment.

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ENTHUSIASM

The system delivers up to 12 channels of electrical stimulation to nerves that activate core, leg, and arm muscles in sequence to promote functional movement and neuromuscular reeducation.

Therapists are able to access a wide range of flexible stimulation parameters to fine-tune muscle responses, and the system allows for personalized muscle selection.

The Xcite systems will be placed in the Outpatient Clinic, NRN Physical Therapy, NRN Outpatient Therapy, Physical Therapy, and the PEAK Center.

The remaining $100,000 of the grant will be used to purchase durable medical equipment for patients with economic need through the Craig Foundation’s Project EQL. Project EQL exists to ensure that every patient at Craig returns home with the basic adaptive equipment that will maximize overall function, health, and life quality, regardless of the patient’s financial or insurance status.

From the time of admission, Craig patient care teams are thinking ahead about the adaptive equipment and support inpatients and their families will need at discharge.

In recent years, the cost of durable medical equipment has increased at the same time insurance coverage for these items has contracted. For those with catastrophic injuries, the consequences are profound.

When Craig’s clinical care managers discover that

insurance, family resources, and other funding options are inadequate to cover the cost of needed equipment for a patient, Project EQL bridges the gap.

Through the Daniels Fund grant to Project EQL, the Craig Foundation will be able to assist at least 180 patients with financial need.

“We are grateful to the Daniels Fund for ensuring access to the most cutting-edge rehabilitation equipment and essential adaptive equipment,” says Mary Feller, executive director of the Craig Foundation. “The [fund’s] support is making it possible for every Craig graduate to resume his or her life with greater ease, independence, safety, and dignity.”

The Daniels Fund, established by cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, is a private charitable foundation dedicated to making life better for the people of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming through its grants program, scholarship program, and ethics initiative.

Lester Butt, PhD Retires from Craig After 40 Years

Dr. Butt

For more than 40 years, Lester Butt, PhD has been a notable and important fixture at Craig Hospital. From his hallmark mustache and his playful shrug to his warm demeanor for patients and staff alike, Dr. Butt — Les — has touched the lives and hearts of many people at Craig throughout his tenure.

“To say that Les Butt is an important part of the Craig family would be an understatement,” says Craig president and CEO Mike Fordyce. “Les is part of the fabric that makes Craig special. We are thankful for all he has done for Craig and will miss him greatly. We wish him the best of luck in retirement.”

Les began working in rehabilitation psychology at Craig in 1977. From 1987 to 2015, he served as the director of psychology, responsible for both direct clinical care and administrative duties.

Known throughout the field of rehab medicine as a pivotal voice for patients with spinal cord and brain injury, Les served as president of the American Board of Rehabilitation Psychology and is the three-time past president of the American Association of Spinal Cord Injury Psychologists and Social Workers.

Les was a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) divisions of Rehabilitation Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Trauma Psychology.

In 2007, he was given the Lifetime Award of Practitioner Excellence by the APA’s Division of Rehabilitation Psychology.

Upon retirement, Les told staff, “I am not leaving Craig . . . I am keeping a small part of Craig in my mind, heart, and soul. You have made an indelible and permanent imprint on my being . . . and consequently, I have received far, far more than I’ve ever attempted to give.”

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Colin’s Class PEER-LED CLASS BY CRAIG GRAD EDUCATES AND EMPOWERS NEW PATIENTS Craig Hospital has changed quite a bit in the 12 years since Colin Heffern was an inpatient.

There are new therapy gyms, therapy equipment, patient rooms, and faces.

Colin has changed, too. He was a 19-year-old college freshman paralyzed from the neck down when he first entered the halls of Craig. Now he’s sharing with newly injured patients and their families his experience as a 31-year-old living with high-level tetraplegia.

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WISDOM

Every other Friday, Colin leads “Colin’s Class” at Craig, a peer-led class for patients with high-level injuries. He has a dry, witty sense of humor and is open and honest.

Colin provides the perspective of someone who has been through the Craig program and adapted what he learned

“It really bothers me when I see people with more function than me and they’re more dependent on others. I hope this class starts new patients on the journey or the path toward the independence and activities that reengage them in the community.

It’s one way I can help people along,” says Colin.

Colin currently works as a full-time landscape architect for the National Park Service. He’s independent, has a social life, and volunteers.

He drives a sip-and-puff wheelchair better than many people who use hand controls. However, it can still be hard work and is daunting at times.

Colin shares both his challenges and successes with newly injured patients.

“Through his experience, Colin is able provide the perspective of someone who has been through the Craig program and adapted what he learned to meet his needs,” says Craig physical therapist Joe Fangman, who assists with Colin’s Class.

When he first returned home to Cheyenne, Wyoming, after rehab in 2005, Colin says he felt isolated. The first six months at home were the hardest.

“You leave the comfortable confines of Craig and return to a place where you once were independent and confident, only to find that you are now mostly dependent on others and the only wheelchair user around,” he says.

He decided to return to school at Colorado State University (CSU) to pursue his Bachelor of Science in landscape architecture, the same subject he was studying prior to his injury. CSU is 45 miles away from his home. His return to school and a subject heavily reliant on the use of one’s hands required planning, assistance from family and old and new friends, and existing and new technologies.

to meet his needs.

—Joe Fangman, physical therapist

Colin went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from CSU in 2010 and then master’s degrees in landscape architecture and urban planning from the University of Southern California in 2013.

To his class, Colin serves as an example of how to take educated risks, ask for help when needed, instruct those assisting, and share experiences and tips. He talks about hiring and training caregivers, returning to work and school, traveling, home modification, and the ins and outs of accessibility.

He also answers questions from patients and family members.

“His class definitely helped in the way that it showed that being a high-level quadriplegic doesn’t limit you from traveling, working, camping, or going back to school,” says Jason Sitruk, a patient in Colin’s class. continued on page 10

Read this article in the Denver Post about Colin’s return to Colorado State University: www.denverpost.com/2006/01/09/ return-to-college-life-takes-friends-help/

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AT WORK As a landscape architect for the National

Upon arriving at the park sites, his team

Colin says preparation and time

Park Service, Colin Heffern works on

measures and inspects a variety of areas,

management are crucial to traveling

a variety of projects, some involving

including bathrooms, parking spots, trash

safely and successfully. He shares his

site planning and others focused on

cans, picnic tables, ramps, curbs, and

challenges and tactics with inpatients in

accessibility. Some of the accessibility

parking signage. After their assessment

his class.

work includes assessing park facilities

and inspection, Colin drafts documents

and programs to ensure they meet

determining what the barriers are and

“It is so impressive that Colin does not

current codes and policies.

the solutions to remove them.

let his injury limit his travels. He is very confident in instructing his caregivers and

“We work with park staff to identify

“What’s nice is we help develop solutions

adapting to different situations, and he

accessibility barriers and develop realistic

that parks can realistically accomplish

has taught us a new technique for

solutions for removing those barriers

in order to remove those barriers. Those

packing a power chair to decrease the

and improving opportunities for visitors

projects are fun because we get to see

risk of damage,” says Joe Fangman,

with disabilities,” says Colin. “The

a lot of different areas in the park.”

a physical therapist at Craig.

self-evaluation and transition plans identify physical and programmatic

Colin takes around six work trips each

barriers to accessibility and are required

year. For many people with disabilities,

for federal agencies and facilities

traveling can be overwhelming and

by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation

accessibility isn’t always guaranteed.

Act of 1973.”

Colin says he saw a need and wanted to help.

He recognized that many people living with spinal cord injuries were limited in their ability to interact with the wider world.

COLIN’S TIPS FOR REGAINING YOUR INDEPENDENCE

He says moving forward he hopes Colin’s Class will have more peer involvement to include different perspectives and ideas on how to tackle obstacles.

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WISDOM

Don’t wait for somebody else to do it — jump right in.

Take responsibility for your life and your actions.

You must determine how you will live from this point forward.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. You likely do not need somebody with you all the time.

Ask a neighbor, coworker, or stranger for help with simple tasks.

Be patient. It is not a race to independence, but rather a slow and steady journey of small improvements and new skills.

Stay positive and treat those assisting you with respect — it makes it a lot easier on everyone.

Going back to school after a catastrophic injury is a very unique process.

The peer dynamic helps our teens reacclimate and know they’re not alone.

—Laura Magnuson, certified teacher

NEW PROGRAM FOR TEENS: TEEN REHAB AT CRAIG (TRAC) While young patients have been part of Craig’s patient population since the 1950s, teens now have a special program to meet their needs. In October 2016, Craig formally instituted the new program Teen Rehab at Craig (TRAC).

“We wanted to make sure teens and their parents were aware of what Craig has to offer for our youngest population. These patients have different educational, social, and psychological needs,” says Candy Tefertiller, director of physical therapy.

A comprehensive group of clinicians created the program with a focus on providing a thoughtful space for teens to learn about their injuries, express concerns, get to know others in a similar situation, and prepare to go back to school.

“Our school-aged patients face different obstacles and have very diverse needs than our adult patients. Going back to school after a catastrophic injury is a very unique process. The peer dynamic helps our teens reacclimate and know they’re not alone,” says Laura Magnuson, Craig’s certified teacher.

As part of TRAC, teens and their families can get to know other families during rehab. The teens participate in therapeutic recreation outings just for teens, and receive age-specific education and programming.

The heart of the program is each adolescent patient’s relationship with his or her expert interdisciplinary care team (doctor, psychologist, nurses, therapists, teacher, and clinical care manager). Craig offers an individualized treatment approach to rehabilitation care, based on patient and family goals and team recommendations.

The program also features a support group just for parents of teens.

Learn more at craighospital.org/TRAC

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The Value of Family Caregivers Lauryn Trede, left, with her aunt Sandy Fasso

SUPPORT AFTER BRAIN INJURY

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CRAIG MOMENTS

“It was two years ago,” says Lauryn Trede, sitting next to her aunt Sandy Fasso in the garden outside Craig Hospital.

The two looked up at the Liniger Bridge to Independence, which connects Craig’s east and west buildings. It’s often a popular spot for patients and families to stop and get some sun in between therapy sessions.

“We’d sit on that bridge and look out at Pikes Peak,” Sandy says.

In December 2014, Lauryn, a Chicago native turned Denver transplant, was crossing the street three blocks from her home when she was struck by a car and sustained a traumatic brain injury.

“It was a touchy time in the ICU. It was very difficult,” says Sandy. “We didn’t know what was going to happen. You walk in and she’s got half of her skull removed. All these tubes, lots of beeping, flashing lights, doctors and nurses constantly coming in.”

Lauryn first remembered waking up in the hospital.

“I had a bunch of tubes down my throat, so I couldn’t talk. I just remember hating the tubes in my throat,” she says.

When Lauryn came to Craig for rehabilitation, her father and aunt were by her side every day. Her mother had passed away when she was 11 and her aunt Sandy, her mother’s younger sister, stepped in and assumed the role of caregiver for her niece.

“What I would look forward to every morning was knowing she was going to walk through the door. A familiar face,” says Lauryn, recalling her days at Craig.

What I would look forward to every morning was knowing she was going to walk through the door. A familiar face.

—Lauryn Trede, Craig grad

continued on page 14

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I don’t think I would have had as much pivotal success with my recovery if it wasn’t for her being so encouraging and supportive.

—Lauryn Trede, Craig grad

After rehab, Lauryn moved in with her aunt and uncle. She wanted to continue her Colorado dream.

“There was nothing to talk about. We knew Lauryn was always going to have a home with us,” says Sandy.

Sandy would take Lauryn for walks and push her wheelchair. When Lauryn progressed to a walker, Sandy would carry a folding chair for Lauryn to sit on when she needed to rest every 20 feet.

Sandy helped Lauryn shower and get ready, and drove her to therapy. The two became very close.

It has now been two years since the accident.

Lauryn still lives with her aunt and uncle. She is able to walk and drive, and is back at work. She also helps care for her grandmother, who recently moved into the house.

The transitions Lauryn made from inpatient to outpatient to nearly independent were not always easy, but were met with grace and humility.

“I don’t think I would have had as much pivotal success with my recovery if it wasn’t for [my aunt] being so encouraging and supportive,” says Lauryn.

We asked them to share some tips for patients with brain injury and their caregivers.

Just take it minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day.

And know it will get easier. It will get easier or you’ll learn to adapt.

—Sandy Fasso

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CRAIG MOMENTS

TIPS FOR CAREGIVERS

TIPS FOR PEOPLE WITH BRAIN INJURY AFTER REHAB

Take time for yourself. Sandy took an hour each day to maintain her practice of meditation. She says it helped her feel grounded and gave her more space to be there for Lauryn. These days, she makes sure to have one date night a week with her husband.

Get involved. Lauryn participates in hippotherapy (using horseback for rehabilitation) and joined Craig’s Brain Injury Community Recreation Group, which organizes outings with other people living with brain injuries. “Similar experiences, similar struggles; it’s huge to have someone who can relate to you,” says Lauryn.

Go to rehab therapy sessions. “That’s a word of advice I would give to a family member who is going to be a caretaker. If they can, spend as much time, go to the therapy sessions, observe, learn,” says Sandy.

Use humor. Lauryn tries to find the humor in situations that might make people uncomfortable, like when asking for help or explaining something.

Take notes. During Lauryn’s therapy sessions, and throughout rehab, Sandy took diligent notes. She said they were instrumental in their transition home because she could look back on what therapists said or what instructions she had been given.

Allow others to help. Sandy spent all day, every day in rehab with Lauryn. Her husband, Jerry, picked up the housework and made her dinner each night. She says this allowed her to relax and focus on Lauryn.

Go to counseling. After rehab, Lauryn saw a counselor. She says, “Just speaking with a nonbiased party about struggles, what I’ve overcome, what I’ve accomplished, and what I want to accomplish was huge.”

Find the positive. “An experience like that really teaches you how to appreciate life. The people and circumstances in life. Just to be able to jump in my car to go to Target to buy deodorant is huge,” says Lauryn.

Live in the here and now. “Just take it minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. And know it will get easier. It will get easier or you’ll learn to adapt,” says Sandy.

Recognize milestones. “Recognize accomplishments, recognize those milestones, some of them seem really little, but they all add up eventually — so keep in mind what you can do today, what you couldn’t do yesterday or last week,” says Sandy.

Sandy and Lauryn marked the one-year anniversary since Lauryn walked without a cane with a long walk outside together.

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Craig Hospital and the High Fives Foundation unveiled this addition to the CR Johnson Healing Center in Truckee, California. Physical therapists from Craig will provide regular consultation to the trainers at the center.

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PROGRESS

Craig Empowerment Center Unveiled in California Last December, Craig Hospital and the High Fives Foundation unveiled the Craig Empowerment Center — an 800-square-foot addition to the CR Johnson Healing Center in Truckee, California.

The center not only adds space and top-of-the-line training equipment, but provides additional training resources from Craig’s specialized therapy staff.

The CR Johnson Healing Center is a training facility that provides resources for athletes in recovery from life-altering and sport-related injuries. The Healing Center attracts more than 3,700 visits a year from community members and athletes supported by the High Fives Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises injury prevention awareness while providing resources and inspiration to those who have sustained life-altering injuries.

The addition of the Craig Empowerment Center gives athletes unique access to important strengthtraining technologies such as the FES Bike and Freemotion EXT Dual Cable Crossover, as well as parallel bars, and gives them more space for important workouts.

“Our mission at Craig is to help people who have sustained a life-altering injury strive for independence and life quality,” says Mike Fordyce, CEO of Craig Hospital. “Several of our graduates participate in the High Fives Foundation, and through the creation of the Craig Empowerment Center we aim to help people successfully harness their bravery and determination in returning to the adventure sports they love.”

Several of the High Fives Foundation’s sponsored athletes and Craig graduates attended the ribboncutting ceremony and tested the new equipment.

In addition, Candy Tefertiller, director of physical therapy at Craig, conducted an assessment to ensure the center meets the rehabilitation standards of the hospital. Going forward, physical therapists from Craig will provide regular consultation to the trainers at the center to ensure a consistent, world-class therapy experience.

“Often, access to these types of resources and equipment can be scarce for people with spinal cord and brain injuries once they leave a rehabilitation hospital, which is why this partnership is so important to us,” says Candy.

“The addition of the Craig Empowerment Center gives our athletes and the hundreds of others who utilize the resources of the CR Johnson Healing Center access to even more advanced equipment that will help build endurance and strength and get them out enjoying sports more fully,” says Roy Tuscany, co-founder and executive director of the High Fives Foundation.

The Craig Empowerment Center is officially up and running and is available to High Fives athletes and the local community.

ABOUT THE HIGH FIVES FOUNDATION The High Fives Foundation is a Truckee, California-based, national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The High Fives Foundation supports the dreams of mountain action sports athletes by raising injury prevention awareness while providing resources and inspiration to those who suffer life-altering injuries. Formed as a way to “pay it forward” by the founder from his own recovery to help injured athletes, the foundation has helped 125 athletes from 26 states since its inception in 2009. For more information, visit www.highfivesfoundation.org.

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CRAIG RESEARCH LOOKS AT OPTIMIZING SLEEP DURING EARLY BRAIN INJURY RECOVERY Whether you call it getting a little shut-eye, snoozing, or catching some zzzs, getting a proper amount of quality sleep is important to everyone’s health and well-being. Research at Craig is helping clinicians understand the relationship between sleep and recovery for individuals with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

According to Dr. Makley, there are a variety of reasons for sleep disruption during this period, including injuries to the sleep centers in the cortical and subcortical areas of the brain, as well as medical care needs during the nighttime.

The disruptions can range from difficulty falling and staying asleep to snoring, sleepwalking, and nightmares.

Under the direction of CNS Medical Group physicians Michael Makley, MD and Alan Weintraub, MD and Craig Hospital neuropsychologist Don Gerber, PsyD, the Optimized Sleep After Brain Injury (OSABI) study is addressing the gap in knowledge about the nature, incidence, and effect of sleep disturbances on recovery from moderate-to-severe TBI during the early rehabilitation phase. It is also testing a sleep hygiene protocol to improve sleep for individuals in the early rehabilitation phase.

Previous studies have found that sleep disturbances could make cognitive problems worse after TBI and could even prolong the amount of time that a patient remains in the PTA phase of recovery.

This suggests that therapies aimed at improving sleep problems after TBI may also improve cognitive recovery.

This study builds on previous research started by Dr. Makley at the University of Maryland and continued at Craig.

In uninjured populations, sleep deprivation has been associated with significant negative effects on attention, reaction time, visual-motor performance, language functions, memory processes, and executive functions.

Sweet dreams are made of this: the Craig sleep study team

“We’ve all experienced a bad night’s sleep, and we know that when we don’t get a good night’s sleep we are not functioning optimally,” says Dr. Makley.

“We see similar things in patients.”

SLEEP PROBLEMS AND TBI RECOVERY In individuals with moderate-to-severe TBI, sleep disturbance has been estimated to be as high as 78 percent and has been associated with the presence of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA), a period of disorientation, confusion, and inability to store memories that occurs after TBI.

The OSABI study, which is funded by a $300,000 grant from the Colorado TBI Trust Fund, monitors the sleep patterns of clinically appropriate patients using an actigraph, a wristwatch-size accelerometer that can monitor activity levels and sleep. Participants’ cognitive functions are also tested multiple times per week to monitor orientation, attention, and memory.

We’ve all experienced a bad night’s sleep,

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Study participants who exhibit sleep problems are allocated into one of two groups: a group that receives Craig’s typical rehabilitation and care routines or a group that has an experimental seven-day-a-week sleep hygiene protocol.

Many of the sleep medications commonly used in non-TBI populations have side effects that may negatively affect individuals with TBI who are cognitively compromised. Thus, the protocol tests the efficacy of a nonpharmacological, behavioralenvironmental approach. Participants are housed in specially modified rooms designed to provide a dark, quiet sleep environment, including light-blocking shades, dim lights, dim light cameras, and meters to record ambient light and sound levels through the period of sleep.

Nursing care is minimized unless clinically necessary. Participants don’t consume caffeine, maintain a consistent waking schedule seven days a week, and are exposed to blue light therapy for 30 minutes after waking in order to turn off the sleep signals in the brain.

Prolonged daytime sleep is discouraged, and the room is kept bright when the patient is resting during the day between therapies and appointments.

Participants’ sleep in both groups is monitored with 24-hour actigraphy and several different scales and measures.

The study is overseen by a team of representatives from Craig’s research, neuropsychology, speech pathology, and nursing departments. The steering committee meets weekly to review progress.

“There are many aspects of institutionalized care that impact sleep, and until we understand how those impact a person’s sleep and recovery, we can’t move any further in treating this,” says Dr. Makley.

“This study is helping us understand our institutional impact and the impact of our patterns of behavior.”

clinical approach to managing sleep disturbances after TBI. If the pilot trial shows that the sleep hygiene protocol is feasible and effective, the research department will plan a larger study.

The Craig research team is also working on a multisite study with the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute. The Comparison of Sleep Apnea Assessment Strategies to Maximize TBI Rehabilitation Participation and Outcome study will identify sleep apnea during inpatient TBI rehabilitation and compare existing screening and diagnostic tools.

According to the study’s principal investigators, it is anticipated that two manuscripts will be developed and submitted to peer-reviewed journals based on the study findings. The findings will also be presented to Craig’s Research Task Force and to clinical staff to upgrade Craig’s

and we know that when we don’t get a good night’s sleep we are not functioning optimally. We see similar things in patients.

—Michael Mackley, MD

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2017 PUSH GALA RAISES RECORD AMOUNT FOR CRAIG PATIENTS AND PROGRAMS Craig Hospital’s biggest fundraiser of the year, presented by Dave and Gail Liniger, was held on Saturday, April 29. The PUSH Gala raises money to support Craig Hospital’s programs and research.

This year’s event raised more than $1.8 million for Craig.

Proceeds from the PUSH dinner fund Craig’s unique culture of care, programs like therapeutic recreation, adaptive technology, music therapy, community reintegration, and education and tutoring — which are generally not covered by insurance. PUSH funds also support research, including ongoing studies and clinical trials aimed at improving outcomes, reducing long-term complications, and enhancing the quality of life for those affected by spinal cord and traumatic brain injury.

Clockwise from top: Members of the Digby family, Regan Linton, 2017 PUSH Gala chairs Dan and Stacey May, and Kelli Johnson and her family.

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The PUSH paddle auction raised more than $700,000 for the Craig Foundation’s Patient Assistance Fund, which helps patients with minimal income or inadequate insurance travel to and from Craig, purchase equipment like wheelchairs and shower chairs, remodel homes for accessibility, train caregivers, pay mortgage and rent, and meet other urgent needs. The paddle auction was kicked off by a $250,000 gift from the Ludlow-Griffith Foundation and a $100,000 gift from the Don Digby family.

At the 2017 PUSH Gala, the Inspiration Award was given to Kelli Johnson. The Inspiration Award recognizes an individual who stands out as a positive and influential role model for the community Craig serves.

Faith Leaders Visit Craig for Traumatic Brain Injury Support Training Kelli sustained a traumatic brain injury in a ski accident when she and her daughter were struck by a snowboarder. Her daughter died in the accident. Kelli and her husband, Chauncy, are working with the National Ski Areas Association on a campaign to encourage safety in memory of their daughter.

Also at the dinner, actor and disability inclusion advocate Regan Linton accepted the Dave and Gail Liniger Spirit of Craig Award. This award recognizes a Craig graduate and/or family member who, through his or her community service, professional achievement, and personal support of Craig’s patients, graduates, and mission, significantly brings to life the spirit of Craig Hospital for others in the community.

During her junior year at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, Regan sustained a spinal cord injury in a car accident.

Following her injury, she completed rehab at Craig and then finished her degree at USC. Regan earned her master’s in social work at the University of Denver and also served on the board of directors at Craig Hospital. In 2010, Regan left Denver to pursue a master of fine arts degree in acting at the University of California, San Diego, as the first wheelchair user to ever attend the prestigious program.

She has been working professionally ever since. She is currently the artistic director and interim executive director of the Phamaly Theatre Company in Denver.

The 2017 event was chaired by Dan and Stacey May and presented

by Dave and Gail Liniger. The PUSH video sponsors were GE Johnson Construction Company and Great-West Financial/ Empower Retirement.

Craig Hospital hosted a conference for faith leaders in May to provide support and education for those who help people and families living with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Religious leaders provide a trusted resource for spiritual, social, and emotional support. The half-day seminar, Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury for Clergy and Spiritual Leaders in the Community, provided practical ways faith leaders can offer care to individuals and families whose lives have been affected by TBI. The featured speaker was William Gaventa, MDiv, an ordained Baptist minister currently serving as the director of the Summer Institute on Theology and Disability and the National Collaborative on Faith and Disability. Craig speakers included Alan Weintraub, MD, medical director, traumatic brain injury program; Eric Spier, MD, CNS Medical Group, P.C.; Jim Schraa, PsyD, neuropsychologist; Lenny Hawley, LCSW, TBI education and resource counselor; and Candi Boyd, MDiv, chaplain.

To watch videos about Kelli and Regan and see more photos from the event, visit craighospital.org/PUSH

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The Power of Art CRAIG GRADUATE ARTISTS TURN TO CANVAS FOR EXPRESSION AND HEALING

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PHOTO BY JANE ROLLAG

Throughout recorded history, people have used pictures, stories, dance, and chants as healing rituals. The benefits of artistic expression are well documented. The Journal of Health Psychology notes that art “can heal emotional injuries, increase understanding of oneself and others, develop a capacity for self-reflection, reduce symptoms, and alter behaviors and thinking patterns.”

Two Craig graduates — both talented artists before their injuries — have found that to be true. They are using the visual arts to express and heal themselves and to reach out to others.

RANDY PIJOAN Recent Craig graduate Randy Pijoan is a renowned artist whose work is featured in galleries and private collections around the world.

A contemporary realist, he is known for his city nightscapes and his sweeping landscapes of scenic northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. His works have been published, reviewed, and documented in national magazines such as American Artist, Art & Antiques, Southwest Art, and American Art Collector.

Randy comes from a long line of artists. His great-grandfather, José Pijoan, was a poet laureate of Spain and a famous art historian in the 1920s and 1930s who was friends with Pablo Picasso and Diego Rivera.

Randy learned to paint from his grandfather, Dr. Michael Pijoan, a painter as well as a doctor for the people and pueblos around Española, New Mexico.

“I was 5 years old and I would hang out with Grandpa in his studio. He’d set me up with my own paints and occasionally give me a pointer or two,” says Randy.

“It was a fantastic way to spend time with him.”

As he worked to establish his own career, Randy worked a variety of positions, ranging from archival art expert to house painter. He lived and worked in Boulder, Colorado; Ashland, Oregon; and Chicago before returning home to the San Luis Valley. He currently lives in Amalia, New Mexico, with his wife of three years, Evy McLean.

“I’m an extreme person. If I’m in the city, I need to be in the heart of the city, but if I’m out of the city, I need to be really out,” he says. “I love to be surrounded by wild horses, elk, coyotes, and the unbound spirit of the West.”

As a way to mentor the next generation of artists, Randy founded Ventero Open Press Fine Art in Colorado’s oldest town, San Luis. Ventero is a nonprofit organization that provides education, scholarships, art supplies, and exhibition opportunities for emerging and established artists. continued on page 24

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Two works by Randy Pijoan, from left: “Chicago Commercial Street,” oil, 24” x 36” (detail); “Across the Canyon Tempest,” oil, 48” x 72” (detail) On preceding page: Randy Pijoan in his studio

Every Friday and Saturday Randy could be found at the print shop and gallery, teaching art to local youth and helping them sell their prints in the adjoining coffee shop.

“The students can make a limited-edition print and sell it numerous times, and they’re learning about the business side of the art world, including how to do a consignment agreement and how to interact with strangers and talk about their work,” he says. “They’re able to apply what they learn right off the bat.”

Randy was born with a congenital defect called Marfan syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that affected his heart. In 2003, he had a near-death experience after an aortic dissection. A 2016 follow-up heart ultrasound found additional damage to his aorta and carotid arteries. During surgery to correct these issues, he suffered a stroke, which injured the right side of his brain.

“When I woke up, I couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t move the left side of my body. My left arm was heavy, like a rubbery dummy arm,” he says. “I thought someone was playing a joke on me.”

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After more than three weeks in an intensive care unit, and another six weeks at an intermediary care facility, Randy and his wife fought to have him transferred to Craig Hospital for rehabilitation.

Only two weeks after his admission to Craig, his nurse and recreation therapist arranged for him to take a special off-campus outing to an art show in Fort Collins curated by a friend. ‘‘I’ll never forget being able to surprise my friend,” he says. “The staff at Craig are some of the best people I’ve ever met in my life.”

Randy and Evy were able to return to Amalia this past March and are working to adapt to their new normal.

“I know that if he hadn’t been at Craig, he wouldn’t have been able to go home; he would have been in a nursing facility,” she says.

“I can’t even begin to express our gratitude to Craig for what they have done for us.” In thanks for their care, Randy is planning to donate one of his landscapes to be hung in the hospital.

Randy continues his physical therapy at home, and the pair have changed his studio space to make it more accessible. They adapted his easel so that it can be adjusted with one hand, and reorganized his supplies so they can be easily reached.

While he has reconciled himself to the fact that his artwork will change due to the stroke, he is anxious to return to his paints and his work with Ventero Open Press. He recently started his first painting on the adapted easel and is looking forward to having time to implement his ideas.

But for now, he is taking the time to heal and spend time with Evy. “We’re practically newlyweds and I want to have more time with her,” he says. “Now I have more time to truly be alive.”

Visit randypijoan.com to view Randy’s work

JENNIFER RADIL Jennifer Radil, a 2000 Craig graduate, is an art therapist and working artist in Omaha, Nebraska.

She was a studio art major at Colby College in Maine working at a summer job at a camp in Colorado when she was paralyzed at the C6-7 level in a jeep accident.

“When I was first airlifted to Colorado Springs, the doctor who did spinal fusion told me that I would be looking at long-term paralysis,” she says.

“As an art major, I was just relieved that there was no impact on my dominant hand, and the gravity of my situation didn’t really hit me until I was at Craig.”

At Craig, her emotions swung from acceptance to complete bewilderment.

“I was worried that if I let myself emotionally approach this abyss of depression, I would fall in and not take advantage of the resources in front of me, so I put on a brave face,” she says.

She credits her family support, and the help of her physical therapist, for pulling her through the rehabilitation process. “My PT was totally instrumental in helping me conceive of a life post-hospital.”

Following discharge, she returned home to Omaha, where she took classes at the University of Nebraska while she weighed her options. She eventually decided that Colorado College was the

PHOTO BY MIKE JERINA

Jennifer Radil works on a private commission, December 2015

ideal place to finish her undergraduate degree. She lived in student housing with the assistance of an aide who helped her get to and from classes.

“I was very aware of the contrast and what separated me from the bulk of the student body,” she says. “But at the same time, I got to enjoy the college experience of living independently, studying art, and going to parties along with friends.”

After graduation, she moved to Chicago, where she lived independently while earning her master’s degree in art therapy at School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Art therapy is an action-oriented treatment modality that uses the creative process to help people resolve traumas and other presenting issues. continued on page 26

Two works by Jennifer Radil, from top: “Mappa+Mundi” (detail); “The Traveler” (detail) On page 22: In Jennifer’s studio

View Jennifer’s work at jenniferradilstudio.com

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“My physical therapist at Craig really got me, and seeing the way therapists work with people at this critical junction in their lives really pushed me to art therapy,” Jennifer says.

through it yourself, you have a greater emotional inventory to draw upon. It helps to have people see you and know your life hasn’t been without challenges.”

As an art therapist and teaching artist with a nonprofit called WhyArts?, Jennifer works with a variety of client populations, including pediatric inpatients. The art activities lend a sense of normalcy and age-appropriate activity for her patients and their families. She has also worked at a residential treatment center for boys. She feels that her injury has made her a more empathetic person and a better therapist. “I’ve worked with traumatized young people, and if you’ve been

In 2012, Jennifer began renting her own studio space in Omaha. She creates mixed-media art of all sizes using vintage maps, leather, twine, and old paper. Her pieces are inspired by the wildlife and geology of her home state.

“My work explores our place in history, acknowledging the arc in which we exist in terms of the past, present, and what will one day be the past,” she says.

ART BY CRAIG GRADUATES RAISES FUNDS AT PUSH GALA SILENT AUCTION

The 2017 PUSH Gala silent auction featured 12 works by former Craig patients. The special auction category, organized by volunteers Laurie Fenske and Claire Cahow, netted $3,685 for the Craig Hospital Foundation and showcased works in a variety of media. See more about the event on page 20.

Marissa Albat “Perception,” layered acrylic on canvas, 20” x 24” Marissa sustained a traumatic brain injury in a car accident in 2010 and spent nine months receiving therapy at Craig.

She is a student at the University of Wyoming earning her master’s degree in social work. In her spare time, she paints with acrylics and watercolor.

Christopher Arbini Untitled Christopher was in a serious bicycling accident that left him paralyzed from the mid-chest down and with limited use of his arms. A web designer and digital artist, he says that art means a lot to him during this time of long recovery. He says it allows him to focus his mind in a creative way and distracts him from the hard work that still lies ahead of him.

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Steve Burns “Fall Transitions to Winter in the Mountains above Telluride,” photograph on canvas, 20” x 30” Steve sustained a severe traumatic brain injury after he fell off a 30-foot cliff while backcountry skiing in 2014.

He was rescued by helicopter, stabilized at Summit Medical Center, and spent a month in a coma at St. Anthony Hospital in Denver. He was transferred to Craig, where he had to relearn to eat, walk, and talk. “Craig really gave me my life back,” he says. Steve was married just three weeks after discharge and took this photo on his honeymoon in Telluride.

A passionate photographer before his accident, he still enjoys the hobby.

Brett Colonell Freehand master study of the famous illustrator Charles Dana Gibson; made with Windsor and Newton Indian ink and brush on Bristol board

Brett was paralyzed from the neck down in the summer of 1997 and rehabilitated at Craig. He finished his degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder and later earned an MBA from the University of Colorado at Denver. He has drawn portraits digitally on his iPad with a stylus attached to a mouth stick. Recently, he’s tried working more with traditional media and hopes to begin to paint with oil in the future.

Much of his recent work can be found on Instagram (@brettcolonell), Tumblr (brettcolonell.tumblr.com), and Facebook.

Grace Fisher “Golden Gate Bridge,” acrylic Grace was diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis, a rare, paralyzing syndrome that affects the spinal cord. After stabilizing at her hometown hospital, Grace was transferred to Craig in February 2015, and joined by her parents and sister for months of rehabilitation. A passionate musician and lover of the arts, Grace is now able to play piano and paint with a mouth stick. She has founded the Grace Fisher Foundation to enrich and empower those with mental and physical challenges through the arts.

She works on a custom-designed table that can rotate so the surface can be vertical or flat, enabling her to wheel up next to it to work on large pieces.

Artist friends and family assist her in transporting and hanging her work.

Todd Mercural-Chapman, Jennifer’s close friend since childhood, says that he always knew she was going to be successful because of her intellect, creativity, passion for life, independent spirit, and family and social support.

Jennifer accepts private commissions and sells her work through local galleries, shops, and her website.

“I think the accident focused her attention and gave her a greater sense of purpose — making sense of her own life and place in the world and helping others do the same,” he says. “What’s remarkable is that she has held this sense of purpose for 17 years and continues to evolve in her art and self-understanding.”

In addition to her own work, she volunteers with a local hospice, visiting patients and cleaning hand molds created by the chaplains. These molds capture the dying or deceased person’s hand holding the hand of a loved one. Once cleaned and finished, they are given to the family.

Eileen Hicks “In the Makin’,” bronze of horse head on turquoiseinlaid mesquite base; 11/20.

Eileen began sculpting in 2014. This is her very first piece.

Eileen was a patient at Craig following a car accident in 2015 in which she sustained a traumatic brain injury and multiple fractures. After three months of therapy at Craig relearning to walk, she was returned home in December 2015.

Before the accident, Eileen’s true passion was riding and showing cutting horses.

With additional outpatient therapy and lots of hard work, she worked up to riding her show horses again. In August 2016, she competed in her first show back, almost exactly a year after the accident.

She is now helping out on her ranch in New Mexico, working on her photography skills, and showing her horses.

Rick Hildebrand mixed media print, 18” x 15”, professionally framed, museumquality glass; colored pencil, marker, dried flowers from Craig Hospital garden Rick teaches art full time at Linn Public School in Linn, Kansas.

He has undergraduate degrees in art and

psychology and a master’s degree in education. In 2003, Rick and his wife Amy were involved in a car accident that left him paralyzed. He rehabilitated at Craig.

Despite the loss of the use of his fingers, he learned to adapt to a new way of life. He found new ways to do his job and, eventually, his artwork. He has won numerous honors for his teaching and his artwork. Many of Rick’s art pieces include flowers or foliage from the Craig garden, which he collects when he returns for interdisciplinary evaluations.

James Murtha “Aspen, Colorado, During the Fall,” acrylic, 16” x 12” James was injured in 2014 in Snowmass Village, Colorado, while mountain biking. While he was at Craig, his occupational therapists introduced him to painting. He began to paint recreationally using a mouth stick.

To date, he has made about 20 pieces.

This piece was inspired by his trip to Aspen the day before his accident.

“Even though I am accepting of the injury I had, a part of me still carries posttraumatic stress and regret when thinking about Colorado, especially the mountains and Aspen; so, for me, this piece represents closure and respect.”

Jennifer Radil “Wide Open,” sandhill crane customframed giclée print Jennifer uses vintage maps, paint, pencils, and coiled string to create collaged topographical maps unlike those you’ve seen in any atlas.

Keith Wortman “Deception Pass Sunset” Photographer, speaker, and Craig grad Keith Wortman is a Montana native.

He spent 21 years traveling the world as a public speaker, lecturing on exotic venomous snakes, crocodiles, and rain forests and their importance to man, medicine, and the environment. Keith has also shown his work and put on expos with National Geographic, and is best known for his inspirational western images. Keith was injured in a mining accident outside Fairplay, Colorado. He provided two other works for the silent auction, as well: “Night Fire” and “Snake River Canyon.”

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Rich Owen , ’01, of Denver, Colorado, was a small-business owner working 60–80 hours a week with a wife and two children, ages 18 months and 5 years. Late one night in April 2001, after leaving a sales meeting, he stopped at a convenience store, and his car was carjacked. He was thrown from his vehicle and landed on a curb, sustaining a traumatic brain injury. He was rushed to Denver General Hospital (Denver Health) for emergency brain surgery.

He woke up after six weeks in a coma (three weeks in a natural coma and three weeks in a medically induced coma) at Craig Hospital. He couldn’t talk or walk.

“When I woke up, my long-term memory was still intact. I remembered all of my past, but I couldn’t remember something that had just happened. And I couldn’t form words to speak,” says Rich. By working with a speech therapist at Craig, he was able to place his tongue in the right place to form words and speak again.

“I was also determined, no matter what it would take, to walk again. I worked on it every day,” he says. Rich used a walker to regain strength in his legs and then moved to crutches. After two more weeks, he was walking on his own.

“The brain is one of the most complex organs in the human body, controlling everything from the way we think and behave to how we move. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have far-reaching consequences, but our goal is to help patients like Rich return home as prepared for the future as possible,” says Alan Weintraub, MD, medical director of the Brain Injury Program at Craig Hospital.

“My family stuck with me every step of the way. I’ve tried to go back to work, but my short-term memory challenges prohibit me from doing so,” Rich says. For the past 16 years he has been what he calls a SHARK: Stays Home and Raises the Kids.

“Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to that. I’m more involved in my kids’ lives than I ever could have been prior to my injury.”

Additionally, Rich found that volunteering was a big part of his recovery, and it continues to give him a sense of worth. He has volunteered with his kids’ schools, his church, the Cub Scouts, and various camps. Currently, Rich volunteers at Craig, and he has been involved with many research studies to help people who have sustained traumatic brain injury be functional and lead happy lives.

To help with multitasking and short-term memory challenges, Rich keeps lists. “I live by pen and paper,” he says.

“I’m one example of a person who has been able to recover from a traumatic brain injury and live a fulfilling, functional life. I would not be alive if it weren’t for my family, today’s medicine, and the medical community, including Denver Health and Craig Hospital.”

This summer, Rich and his wife celebrated 30 years of marriage, one son’s graduation from high school and the other son’s graduation from Colorado State University.

You may not believe it now, but life gets better.

—Curt Wolff, Craig grad

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When Curt Wolff, ’13, of Thornton, Colorado, left Craig on Valentine’s Day 2013, he had to start over.

Curt was paralyzed after contracting the West Nile virus. A business owner at the time of his injury, Curt had to file for bankruptcy and get on Medicaid. He says what he did next helped him to be in a better position today.

Before her injury, Shelly Christopherson, ’15, of Arvada, Colorado, led what she calls a “fairly normal” life. She is a wife, a mother to two grown sons, manager of her household, and a full-time employee at a preservation company.

“I got very active in finding adaptive exercise programs, which helped me to be in the community and not get stuck at home,” he says.

Kelly helped Shelly access the adaptive technology she would need to return to the office. She also met with the human resources department at Shelly’s employer to determine what reasonable accommodations needed to be made in order for her to return.

Since his time at Craig, Curt has become more involved in the community. He now has two part-time jobs and volunteers.

Shelly was able to return to work a few hours a week and has since worked back up to a full-time schedule.

Curt became a certified non-attorney advocate for people with disabilities.

He is the co-chair for the ParticipantDirected Programs Policy Collaborative, and volunteers as an advocate with Colorado Cross Disabilities Coalition which recently won a class action lawsuit requiring Denver’s public transit, RTD, to add wheelchair areas on every section of its trains.

In March of 2015, she suffered a spinal stroke which left her paralyzed. Shelly spent three months in the Craig inpatient program.

“I was determined to get back to the office,” Shelly says. “I have always been an equal partner in our family finances and I knew that if I did not get back to work, my family and I would face financial challenges, perhaps even bankruptcy.”

Shelly worked with Kelly Lombardi, Craig’s community reintegration specialist, to develop a return-to-work strategy.

“She took the time to get to know me and learn what was important to me in my recovery. I told her that getting back to work was at the top of my list,” says Shelly.

“The more we talked, the more I realized I couldn’t just roll back into work as I had expected. I needed her guidance and expertise in order to be successful.”

Beyond the financial impact of being back to work, Shelly says she receives both social and emotional benefits. “I am a part of something bigger than myself,” she says. “I am an active member of a team that is making a difference in others’ lives and work keeps my brain sharp.”

Curt’s advice for people who are newly injured or preparing to leave rehab: “You may not believe it now, but life gets better. You’ve got to get out in the community and be proactive about your care, needs, and services. Life’s not over; it’s a new opportunity. Go for it.

Shelly is sharing her story to help the Craig Foundation raise funds for the donor-supported community reintegration program. Read more about her story and how you can support this important program at

craighospital.org/foundation/communityreintegration.

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You and your community groups are a vital source of support for the patients at Craig Hospital.

Host a fundraising event or reach out to people you know to get involved.

Make an Impact through TeamCraig.org

TeamCraig.org is Craig’s hub for online fundraising and an exciting way to increase your impact.

At Craig, we understand the power of community to make a difference, and encourage you to get your friends, family, colleagues, and neighbors involved.

In doing so, you’re not only raising valuable dollars that help change patients’ lives, but you’re connecting people to the work of Craig.

The options are endless. The key is to find an event or activity that you are passionate about and that you think people in your life will support. We see people raise money through athletic events (hiking, biking, running, rolling) in tribute to a loved one, or asking for donations in celebration of milestones, holidays, and special occasions.

Some grads even choose to raise money in honor of their Craig graduation date!

At TeamCraig.org, you are able to build your own fundraising website and receive fundraising coaching and tips from the Craig Foundation.

To get started with your own peer-to-peer online fundraiser, visit TeamCraig.org or contact Becky Plunkett at 303-789-8166 or bplunkett@craighospital.org.

For more, see TeamCraig.org

If you’re interested in hosting an event to benefit Craig, complete the application form at craighospital.org/foundation/get-involved and then contact Caroline Craven at 303-789-8919 or ccraven@craighospital.org. Once we receive your application, we will evaluate your event proposal for its appropriateness and benefit to Craig Hospital.

Thank you for giving back to Craig in this unique way!

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GRAB YOUR BIKE

Pedal 4 Possible 2017

Learn more or register to ride or volunteer at Pedal4Possible.org

The third annual Pedal 4 Possible (P4P) Century Ride will take place on Saturday, September 16.

Proceeds from the event support innovative Craig therapy programs like therapeutic recreation.

Riders will enjoy views of the Flatirons along the 10K, 50K, 100K, and 100 Miles courses, which start and end at the Pearl Izumi Headquarters in Louisville, Colorado. Cyclists of all levels and abilities, including handcyclists, are encouraged to ride.

Individual rider registration is $80, which includes an event T-shirt, a fully supported ride, course aid stations, and a post-party with food and drink. Riders are encouraged to raise $250 or more for Craig, and those who meet the $250 challenge will receive a custom-designed P4P 2017 jersey.

For those who live out of state and/or like sleeping in, traveling, or activities other than cycling, a $50 virtual rider registration is available. While this is not required, virtual riders are also encouraged to raise $250 for Craig Hospital. Virtual riders can earn incentives for fundraising (while supplies last) and will receive a P4P T-shirt in the mail. Team registrations are also available.

In 2016, Craig outpatient Justin Pines rode in the event and raised more than $20,000 for Craig from his friends and family.

“P4P embodies what Craig’s about,” says Justin. “When something big and life-changing happens, it is hard to see out on the horizon. Metaphorically, you have to go one pedal at a time and just trust that what’s over the next ridge line is going to pan out and that there’s opportunity there.”

The 2016 event raised more than $168,000 to support Craig.

Three hundred thirty-seven riders (47 of whom were adaptive riders) participated in the event. Forty-three teams and 952 donors supported individual riders and teams. More than 100 volunteers assisted on the day of the event to ensure a safe and fun ride.

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The staff at Craig are some of the best people I’ve ever met in my life. —Randy Pijoan, Craig grad

3425 S. Clarkson Street Englewood, CO 80113 craighospital.org