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Latest News
- Goodbye to an inspirational man – David Prast
- Walk On – September Holidays- Brilliant!
- Congratulaions Glenn Barber Melbourne Marathon runner.
- WALK ON – COMING TO MELBOURNE – congratulations SCIA!!
- Care and support should be based on people’s needs, not a lottery of what kind of disability they have, how they acquired it or where they live.
Your gift to The Wish to Walk Foundation will help Isabel access innovative treatments, which are enabling people with spinal cord injuries from across the world to walk again.Click here for details
New upcoming events will be announced soon
The Wish to Walk Foundation has been given the privilege to sell Dallas Clayton's inspiring "An Awesome Book" in Australia.
All sales contribute to Isabel's ongoing therapies. Read more about an Awesome Book.
Daily Therapies
Balancing physical therapy with school life, friends and family life, is a huge challenge.
What is the right mix is a daily question so together, with Isabel we map out each week out a treatment schedule that offers both regularity – so that Isabel’s body will benefit –with some flexibility, to accommodate fluctuating energies and school demands.
A typical week includes a half hour physio session each morning with her Dad, followed by some Vibragym in her standing frame, followed by breakfast with her standing in her frame. Weight bearing is highly important for her long bones – promoting growth and bone density.
One night a week Isabel’s physio who has trained in the Project Walk program comes to our home. Its usually a 2 hour session, that is a combination of pilates, yoga, boot camp. Issey works really hard, a lot of work on her stretching, core strength, and the big cohuna – crawling. In her words she ‘looks forward to it.” She feels energized, and is left feeling satisfied.
2 or 3 times a week Isabel gets on the FES cycle which has been a brilliant addition to her therapy.
There is a bit of mucking around applying the 12 electrodes, but the convenience of being able to cycle at home, with all the benefits the cycle brings has been fantastic.
The cycle exercises her leg muscles, promotes the neural feedback, improves her bladder function, reduces spasms and tightening of the hamstrings and this makes everything like dressing and transferring a lot easier. Again, Issey is always a little brighter following some exercise.
During the school holidays we always hope to have enough funds for Isabel to participate in intensive Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy(HBOT) and Lokomat (robotic gait) training. Last year Isabel was fortunate to be able to participate regularly and we always observed measurable benefits. It is however expensive and travel time and logistics make it more complicated to do.
During the school holidays in 2010 we hope to take Isabel to Sydney where a “ Project Walk” certified program, called Walk On, will be operating. A 1- 2 week intensive will be inspiring and motivating whilst offering a change of scene from the lounge room gym.
It is recommended that as Isabel improves that she revisit Project Walk in California. She would love the opportunity to revisit and it is on her wish list to attend next Dec / January.