Fox 8 News out of Cleveland, Ohio did a special report on Edna Sutton, a spinal cord injury survivor who has dedicated her life to improving the lives of other people with injuries like her own. Edna was knocked out of a window during a fight with her boyfriend 25 years ago. She fell 2 stories and broke her neck. The fall left Edna paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair.
After years of experiencing home health care aides who lacked the necessary training to properly care for spinal cord injury victims, Edna decided she would do something about it. She founded a group that provides specialized spinal cord injury training for health care aides. The group recently acquired a training facility that is set to open this coming February, Fox 8 News reported.
Edna told Fox, ‘We cover the areas that agencies don’t cover, we cover housekeeping and laundry, and multiple wheelchair transfers, catheter care, things that are not addressed in normal training facilities.’ The facility, located in Brooklyn, Ohio, aims to educate and raise awareness, which will likely benefit both health care aides and their patients.
In order to fund the training center Edna has organized a fundraiser called, ‘Dance like no one is watching.’ Before she was injured, Edna said she loved to dance. She said she wants people to stop worrying about economic woes and instead to let themselves get lost in a dance. Even though she moves around in a wheelchair, Edna said in the article that she still loves to dance. She said, ”¦I think it’s like a big release for me, cast all my cares away when I have music, and ‘¦ dance like no one is watching, like you’re in a room by yourself.’
The fundraiser dance will be held this coming weekend in Cleveland, Ohio at the Ritz Carlton Ballroom. In addition to providing training for aides, Edna’s center will also provide training for spinal cord injury victims to become more self-reliant.
References:
Meany, Todd. (January 17, 2010) ‘Spinal Cord Victim Inspiring Others.’ Retrieved on January 17, 2010 from the Fox 8 News website: http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-spinal-cord-txt,0,7401954.story