MRC News

Fall victim urges hunters to be cautious when using tree-stands

FLOWOOD, Miss.—Robert Thomas of Flowood used to begin his days with a brisk 4-mile walk, followed by coffee with his buddies at the Burger King.

Now his routine revolves around his therapy schedule at Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson, where’s he’s fighting to recover from a paralyzing spinal cord injury.

Thomas arrived at the Jackson hospital Oct. 30, this hunting season’s first victim of a tree stand-related injury in Mississippi.

“When I started down the ladder, a rail broke and it threw me,” said Thomas, 68. “I fell about 12 or 13 feet.”

Holiday prep should include poison control

JACKSON, Miss.—If grandchildren are headed your way for the holidays, now’s the time to ensure your home is safe for little ones.

Everything from those vitamins on your nightstand to the cleaning supplies under your sink can pose a danger to your youngest houseguests, warns Lauren Fairburn, coordinator for Think First, Methodist Rehabilitation Center’s statewide injury prevention program.

Danger of carbon monoxide poisoning heightened as cold weather arrives

JACKSON, Miss.—Fall’s first cold snap means it’s time to fire up the family furnace.

But before you switch on your home’s heat source, make sure the equipment is in good working order, says Lauren Fairburn, coordinator of Think First, Methodist Rehabilitation Center’s statewide injury prevention program.

“Malfunctioning furnaces are a common cause of carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas that can cut off oxygen to the heart and brain and kill you,” says Fairburn. “So it’s really important to ensure that all fuel-based heating sources are operating properly.”

Hospital chef urges families to think first about food safety during the holiday season

JACKSON, Miss.—The worst threat to your holiday dinner isn’t burnt rolls, dry turkey or lumpy mashed potatoes.

It’s the bacteria on your buffet.

That’s why Think First, Methodist Rehabilitation Center’s statewide injury prevention program, is urging holiday hosts to handle food safely when preparing Thanksgiving and Christmas feasts.

Madison church, Boy Scout Troop raise money for liver transplant patient, generate awareness of need for organ donation

MADISON, Miss.—A Madison church is offering a free CPR class and chicken plate fund-raising event this Saturday to benefit a member who recently had a liver transplant.

Lisa Winstead of Madison is recovering in New Orleans after undergoing surgery last Sunday. Ellen Lee of Maidson said her sister is doing well and is expected to return home in early to mid-December. Lee, director of the spinal cord injury program at Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson, said the community support has been tremendous.

Recent studies support value of long-term therapy for stroke survivors

JACKSON, Miss.—Eighteen months after suffering a severe stroke, Dr. Faser Triplett of Jackson still celebrates every gain in his abilities, even if it’s as simple as grasping a pill with his left thumb and forefinger.

The achievements bolster Triplett’s belief that all his hard work in therapy is paying off.

But his success also illustrates what research is now revealing—the brain has the capacity to rewire long after a stroke or injury.

Mississippi's only quad rugby team kicked off its season in Kentucky

LOUISIVILLE, Ky.—Quad rugby is sometimes called “murder ball” and members of the Jackson Jags quad rugby team say the game really lived up to its nickname during their first tournament of the season.

“You could definitely call it murder. The guys were exhausted,” said Ginny Boydston, coach and therapeutic recreation director at Methodist Rehabilitation Center in Jackson. “They went into this tournament without any subs and they worked so hard—200 percent.”

Methodist Rehabilitation Center urges caution when using turkey fryers

JACKSON, Miss.—George Glenn set out to fry a turkey last holiday season and almost cooked his goose.

After flambéing his bare hand on the turkey fryer’s hot lid, Glenn flung the bird into the bubbling grease with a bit too much gusto. “It exploded like a cannon,” says the Rankin County resident. “Grease shot up and I got second-degree burns on my forearms and hands.”

Glenn doesn’t blame the fryer for his fowl misfortune. “You can’t idiot-proof the world,” he says.

National Institutes of Health Researcher To Share Findings on Brain's Ability to Recover Function

JACKSON, Miss.—It has been 18 months since Dr. Faser Triplett suffered a severe stroke, but the retired Jackson physician continues to improve.

His success illustrates an exciting discovery that is sparking optimism in the rehabilitation field. Contrary to long-held beliefs, studies are showing that the brain has the capacity to rewire long after a stroke or injury.

Fashion show, CD to benefit state's only Ronald McDonald House

JACKSON, Miss.—Ronald McDonald’s look may never go out of style, but the rest of us aren’t so lucky.

Fashion mavens on the lookout for the latest in fall styles can join the fast-foot icon Saturday as he takes center stage and center court with the latest in fall fashions from Dillard’s in Metrocenter. Raffles held during the free show, from noon to 3 p.m., will benefit Mississippi’s Ronald McDonald House.

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