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 South Carolina as complete as possible.
If you cannot find an SCI group in your area, you may want to consider establishing one. The Spinal Cord Injury Association of South Carolina can offer helpful information on starting your own support group:
Aiken
Aiken Able-Disabled, Inc
3019 Vaucluse Road
Aiken, SC 29802
Not a support group, but provides advocacy and support to spinal cord injury survivors and their families.
Contact:
Bonnie Squires, President 803-648-3445
Fax: 803- 649-0604
Aiken County DSN Advocacy Group
PO Box 698
Aiken, SC 29802
Phone: 803- 642-8800
Fax: 803-642-8806
Not a support group, but provides advocacy, support, training opportunities, and recreation opportunities to individuals with head and/or spinal cord injuries and similar disabilities and their family members.
Contact:
803-507-8653
Email: RCourtney@aikentdc.org
Chester
SCI Support Group
This group meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 5:30 pm.
Group Leader: Lee Carter
Meeting Place:
Purity Presbyterian Church
135 Wylie Street
Chester, SC
Contact:
Lee Carter 803-482-4389
E-Mail: llctcarter@truvista.net
Colombia
SCI Support Group
This group meets the last Wednesday of every month at 6:30 pm
Group Leader: Diane Epperly
Meeting Place:
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital
2935 Colonial Drive, Columbia SC
Contact:
Diane Epperly 803-252-2198
E-mail: scscia@att.net
Conway
SCI Support Group
This group meets the third Monday of every month at 6 p.m.
Group Leader: Ellen Leftwich
Meeting Place:
New Horizons Center
1021 Third Avenue
Conway, SC
Contact:
Ellen Leftwich 843-488-1309
E-mail: leftwich@sccoast.net
Florence
SCI Support Group
This group meets at 1:00 pm on the fourth Thursday of every month, except November when it meets on the third Thursday and December when there is no meeting.
Group Leader: Ronnie Mc Fadden
Meeting Place:
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital
900 E. Cheves Street, Florence SC
Contact:
Ronnie McFadden 843-319-2293 (cell – call anytime) or 843-679-9932
E-mail: ronnielmc@yahoo.com
Greenville
SCI Support Group
This group meets on the first Saturday of every even month (Feb. April, June, etc.) at 1:00 pm. Group Leader: Byron Armentrout
Meeting Place:
225 S. Pleasantburg Drive, Greenville, SC
Contact:
Byron Armentrout
864-369-2791
E-mail: wheelin19@aol.com
North Charleston
SCI Support Group
This group meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 6pm.
Group Leader: Ruth Jones
Meeting Place:
Health South Rehabilitation Hospital
9181 Medcom Street
North Charleston, SC
Contact:
Ruth 843-863-1165
Richard Aust at (843) 792-2605
E-mail: aust@musc.com
Orangeburg
SCI Support Group
This group meets the second Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. (Call ahead to confirm that group is meeting.)
Group Leader: Rebecca Felder
Meeting Place:
The Regional Medical Center of Orangeburg and Calhoun Counties (Education Room)
3000 St. Matthews Rd., Orangeburg
Contact:
Rebecca Felder 803-829-2043
E-mail: Rebecca.felder@yahoo.com
Spartanburg
SCI Support Group
This group meets the fourth Tuesday of every month at 6:30 pm.
Group Leader: Dot Colson
Meeting Place:
St. Matthew Episcopal Church
101 St. Matthews Lane, Spartanburg, SC
Contact:
Dot Colson 864-595-1947
E-mail: dcolson@dennys.com
SCI Support Group
This group meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 5:00 pm.
Group Leader: Robert Alders
Meeting Place:
Piedmont Medical Center
222 S. Herlong Avenue
Rock Hill, SC
Contact:
Robert Alders 803-366-5659
E-mail: Bobcatawba@comporium.net