Learning to cope with a spinal cord injury may be the biggest challenge ever faced by an SCI patient and his or her family. It is good to know that you are not alone in such a difficult situation. SCI support groups provide the opportunity to make friends with people undergoing similar challenges and also offer the opportunity to learn more about SCI and how to deal with it.
Different SCI groups have different focuses. For example, some groups focus on helping people recently injured cope with their altered lifestyle, while other groups focus on providing recreational activities for people with SCI. If you have the opportunity, investigate several SCI groups before deciding which you want to join. Some people may find that they benefit from belonging to more than one group.
Because support groups change or disband without notice, please call ahead to get the group’s latest information before you make a trip to their meeting place. We have endeavored to make the following list of SCI groups in Oregon as complete as possible, but unfortunately there are not many groups specifically for SCI in Oregon.
You may want to start your own group. The National Spinal Cord Injury Association offers helpful information on starting your own support group, including information on starting a chapter of their organization: https://unitedspinal.org/.
Bend
St. Charles Medical Center SCI Support Group
This group meets on the third Tuesday of the month from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. It is led by a Recreational Therapist.
Meeting Place:
St. Charles Medical Center
2500 NE Neff Rd.
Bend, Oregon 97701
Contact:
Amy King at (541) 382-4921, Ext. 2682
Oregon Adaptive Sports
Not a support group per se, but a group that offers adaptive sports activities. Call Robert Fulton for more information.
Address:
Oregon Adaptive Sports
19211 Tumalo Reservoir Road
Bend, OR 97701
Contact:
Robert Fulton at (541) 330-0682 at Notluf@directway.com
Eugene
Sacred Heart Spinal Cord Injury Support Group
Monthly meeting for individuals with spinal cord injuries and their family members. Call for information on the current dates and times. Free Reserved Parking: 13th & Alder Parking Lot.
Meeting Place:
SHMC-Conf Room A
1255 Hilyard Street
Eugene, Oregon 97401
Contact:
Tim Shearer at (541) 686-6354 or TShearer@peacehealth.org