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Wise Choices for Business
Walk the Walk
Victory Is a Step-by-step Experience
By Jo Lightfoot | Lightfoot Consulting, Lowell
Picture yourself Actor Christopher Reeve used these
waking up on a methods to attain improvements. Such a
sleep-in Saturday remarkable level of recovery from severe
morning. You stretch injuries continues to inspire further thera-
slowly under the covers, wiggling your peutic breakthroughs.
toes, fling off the covers, and walk to the Victory Walk’s overall mission is to
kitchen for coffee. enhance quality of life for its clients, rec-
If you can do these things, be grateful. ognizing that recovery possibilities differ
Not everyone can. One in fifty Americans for each person. Fulfillment of this mission
now lives with paralysis of some kind. This requires the usual kinds of nonprofit orga-
condition impacts family life, work, and the nization support – volunteers, equipment,
simple enjoyment of everyday routines. money, and contributions. But what does
Victory Walk is a local therapy cen- the center need most? Al Lemke replies,
ter devoted to maximizing spinal cord “Who do you know in a wheelchair that we
injury recovery. Events that inspired the might be able to help?”
center could easily have happened to any Victory Walk is tasked with the ques-
family—a shattering accident, extensive tion: What do people in wheelchairs want?
and expensive medical care at far-distant Information like this is not easy to find.
facilities, family strains and overwhelmed Privacy laws prevent medical facilities
caregivers. from revealing patient records, making
For the Lemke family, these hardships Victory Walk’s outreach difficult.
sparked a determination. Lynda, Al and “They want different things,” says
their son, Greg, gained insight into helping Lemke. “Mostly they want to get out and
others, and created a network of support make a living. But we know this one guy,
in the aftermath of Greg’s 2007 injury. The he’s engaged to be married. Wouldn’t it
entire family became enlightened about be neat if he could just stand up at his
advanced therapeutic methods that prom- wedding?”
ise partial or complete recovery. Giving is an opportunity to participate
Victory Walk, located in Springdale, in victories and celebrate them. It allows
administers affordable therapy for a wide people with problems and people with so-
geographical region. It provides a pro- lutions to link together and walk toward a
gram of stimulated exercise customized shared vision. The greater the challenge,
to each client’s injury level and recovery the greater the victory.
goals. The therapy helps restore circula- That’s why it’s called a victory walk.
tion, maintain heart health, strengthen
respiration and keep muscles conditioned
so they can react when control starts to
Jo Lightfoot is a writer, speaker, and artist.
She is a volunteer grant writer for Victory Walk
return. As a result, the body stays pre-
and a partner in Lightfoot Consulting which
pared for restorative advances in science specializes in safety, quality and HR. Email Jo
and medicine.
at lightfoot.consult@yahoo.com.
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