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.
Unfortunately there are not any support groups specifically dedicated to SCI in South Dakota. We did find some cross-disability groups for young people and for parents of children with special needs. If you cannot find an SCI group in your area, you may want to consider establishing one. The National Spinal Cord Injury Association can provide helpful information on starting your own support group: https://unitedspinal.org/
South Dakota Spinal Cord / Traumatic Brain Injury Research Council
Although not a support group this organization can provide information on SCI. It was established in 2004 by the State of South Dakota, at the initiative of Governor Michael Rounds. The council aims to promote research and advance knowledge on spinal cord/traumatic brain injury and disease.
Website: http://www.scitbi.org
Sioux Falls
Cross Disability Youth Peer Support Group(ages 16-25)
This group for youth with any physical disability meets monthly. Call for more information.
Meeting Place:
Prairie Freedom Center
Sioux Falls.
Contact:
362-3550
Website: http://www.pfcil.org/
Sioux Falls/Rapid City
Sibshops
This group is designed for siblings (ages 6-13) of children withs pecial needs. It has meetings in Sioux Falls and Rapid City.
Contact:
SD Parent Connection at 1-800-640-4553 or sdpc@sdparent.org for more information.
Yankton
Yankton Family Support Group
The Yankton
Family Support Groupis open to families of children with any disability or special need. Call for more information.
Contact:
Lance Corbit (cell) 402-369-2395.