JACKSON, Miss.—The holiday season is an exciting time for children, but Methodist Rehabilitation Center urges parents to use a bit of caution this Christmas.
Dr. Rahul Vohra, Methodist Rehab’s medical director, encourages families to buy safe, age appropriate toys and to always remember to buy protective gear for all children who receive scooters, bicycles, skateboards and roller blades as gifts.
JACKSON, Miss.—The Mississippi Hospital Association Society for Hospital Auxiliaries and Volunteer Services has named Methodist Rehabilitation Center’s Andrew Noland a volunteer of the year.
Noland, 84, of Jackson, began volunteering in 1996 at the Jackson hospital, making deliveries to patient rooms and cheering up patients and families. He has also given his time to the United Way, the Splendors of Spain exhibit and is a docent at the Governor’s Mansion.
JACKSON, Miss.—Dr. Mark Sherer, a neuropsychologist and director of the neuropsychology department at Methodist Rehabilitation Center, has been elected to fellow status by the American Psychological Association.
To be eligible, fellow candidates must have a doctoral degree in psychology, five years of experience and evidence of outstanding contributions in the field of psychology, according to the APA.
CLINTON, Miss.–Ever since a 1986 motorcycle accident left David Smith with a spinal cord injury, he’s had to rely on a wheelchair to get around. But these days he’s leaving the chair behind and setting his sights a lot higher.
When the 34 year-old Pearl resident isn’t driving his new Kenworth 18-wheeler cross-country, he’s scaling a three-story rock wall and thinking of the day he’ll be outdoors climbing up a real rock.
FLOWOOD, Miss.—Bruce Spann was helping friends cleanup after a February storm violently tore through Columbus, Miss., when a retainer wall came crashing down on him, severely injuring his right leg.
Emergency physicians told the Bastrop, La., resident that surgery to fuse his ankle would leave him with limited mobility and unable to do physically challenging things like running or climbing without assistance.
HATTIESBURG, Miss.—Members of Methodist Rehabilitation Center’s Quad Rugby team, the Jackson Jags, will practice Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Hattiesburg Recreation Center.
The purpose of the special practice is to expose the wheelchair sport to people with disabilities who may be unfamiliar with it, said Ginny Boydston, Jags coach and director of therapeutic recreation at Methodist Rehab in Jackson.
“It’s a fun sport and it’s a great opportunity for quadriplegics who might be sitting home and thinking they can’t have an active lifestyle,” Boydston said.
LAKE TOHO, Fla.—Doug Price of Corinth and Cleveland Short of Flowood will represent Methodist Rehabilitation Center in the first ever Grand National Championship for disabled fishermen Oct. 26-28 at Lake Toho in Osceola County, Fla.
The event is held by the Paralyzed Veterans of America and is a part of its National Bass Trail, a series of tournaments throughout the year for the disabled. The PVA Grand National Championship will be televised at a later date.
JACKSON, Miss.—For Chris Gill, playing with his band, Gillmore, before a rowdy crowd is a pleasure that was almost lost forever. On a Tuesday afternoon last April, the 34 year-old Ridgeland man was driving to a Jackson restaurant to perform when an 18 wheeler struck his car. He never made it to the show.
Gill suffered numerous broken bones and a traumatic brain injury. After emergency surgery, he underwent intensive therapy at Methodist Rehabilitation Center to learn how to walk again.
LUCEDALE, Miss.—This time last year, James Havard was looking pretty bad.
The 18 year-old senior at East Central High School had several broken bones and a tube placed in his throat to alleviate internal bleeding after a life-threatening car accident near Lucedale.
Havard, a tight end on the football team, also suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the chest down.
FLOWOOD, Miss.—On a day with perfect, cool, fall weather, hundreds of runners, wheelchair racers and volunteers reunited at Methodist Rehabilitation Center’s east campus in Flowood to raise money for spinal cord and brain injury research.
Reunion Race, now in its 16th year, has grown into an annual tradition that draws able-bodied and physically challenged athletes from across the South.