Competitors are advocates for the disabled

As posted by:

By William J. Booher

Posted: June 21, 2008

Perry Township’s Katrina Gossett keeps on adding achievements.

Gossett, 23, ranked eighth academically when she graduated from Perry Meridian High School in 2002.

She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame in 2006 and was the top student in its film, television and theater school.

This fall, she’ll begin her third and final year at the University of Chicago Law School after working for the second consecutive summer as a researcher at Baker & Daniels law firm in Indianapolis.

And next month, Gossett, who was diagnosed as an infant with spinal muscular atrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy, will represent Indiana in the 36th annual Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant in Rockville, Md.

The national pageant will feature contestants from 25 states and the District of Columbia and will run July 21-26..

According to the organization’s Web site, the pageant was organized in 1972 as a opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of women who use wheelchairs and to provide a forum for them to advocate for the more than 52 million Americans with disabilities.

The winner will be the most accomplished and articulate spokeswoman.

Ms. Wheelchair America 2008 is Kristen McCosh of Massachusetts.

Gossett said she became interested in the pageant after reading about it in the Muscular Dystrophy Association magazine.

She was chosen for the competition by Samantha Smith, Ms. Wheelchair Indiana 2008, who is Indiana’s Ms. Wheelchair coordinator.

Gossett said the national titleholder will attend events across the country, including the annual Rose Bowl festivities in California.

Gossett, who said she would like to go into a career of employment law, said her aim would be to keep employers informed of provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide accommodation for and protect the disabled in the workplace.

She said if she were selected the new Ms. Wheelchair America, she would seek to end any type of discrimination against people with disabilities.

“The community at large needs to see people with disabilities participating in every aspect of life,” she said.

Gossett’s plans are to practice law in Indianapolis.

“I would work with clients across the country,” she said, “but have my home base here.”

Adaptive Water Ski Adventure Camp for Kids with Disabilities, Lake Harner in West Lafayette, July 9 – 10 (INDIANAPOLIS – IN) The Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana Sports Program (RHISP) is excited to announce that Camp WACK is back at Lake Harner in West Lafayette IN. Water Adventure Camp for Kids, WACK is a camp that provides children with disabilities between the ages of 5 - 18 the opportunity to participate in adapted water skiing. The two-day camp will be held at the beautiful Lake Harner in West Lafayette, IN. starting at 9 am to 5 pm both days. The camp is open to children with physical disabilities and their families. Following last years Camp WACK, one grateful parent said ”The Camp WACK experience was wonderful for our son and our family. Ever since we moved to Indiana, we wanted him to participate in sports and not always have to be a spectator. Being part of Camp WACK helped him learn new skills, build confidence, and become more independent. He also learned to socialize and develop friendships. We are thankful to have this new event in the Lafayette area. Camp WACK enabled our son to enjoy accomplishments that were never possible for him before. Thank you for making our son’s life more challenging and exciting!”Skis are specially equipped to allow skiers to sit and ski. Outriggers provide balance and stability to insure a rewarding and positive ski experience. A variety of games and activities will also be available for the campers on shore while they wait their turn to ski. Campers will be given preference as to which day, July 9th or 10th, they prefer. All attempts will be made to accommodate your request. Cost: $20 per child Participants can also enjoy free grilled hamburgers and hotdogs, boat rides, and the chance of a life-time to soar on top of the water. Directions: Lake Harner near the intersection of State Rd. 25 and Highway 52 West in Lafayette, IN. Contact Information: Any questions or RSVP’s please contact Patrick Dean at HYPERLINK “mailto:pdean@rhin.com“pdean@rhin.com or call 317-329-2281. 

As Submitted by Sharon Severy

Posted: June 24, 2008

The Hendricks County Senior Center is offering a free mini health clinic for adults of any age, called Health Matters. The clinic will be held on Friday, from 10 to noon. Screenings will be available for glucose, cholesterol, blood oxygen levels, bone density, heart rate, hearing, and blood pressure. Foot care, vision assessments and anodyne therapy will also be available.

In addition, SHIIP will be available to answer individual questions and give advice on Medicare and insurance issues. Other professionals will provide information on nutrition, living wills, assisted living, retirement clubs, physical therapy, reverse mortgages, hospice, diabetes testing supplies, home care, nursing homes, and long term care insurance. The File of Life, an emergency information notification system, will be available. Bulldog Mobility will provide free mini-tune up service of wheelchairs and scooters.

Health Matters is being sponsored by Lincoln Bank and CICOA Aging & In-Home Solutions. Participants include Hendricks Regional Health, Alliance Day Services, Angels of Mercy Home Care, At Your Service Healthcare, Avon Health & Rehab, Bulldog Mobility, Caring Call Connection, Edward Jones, The Hearth at Prestwick, Heartland Healthcare, Ivy Trace, Midwest Mobile Care, MP Total Care, Nightengale Home Care, Odyssey Healthcare, Park Square Manor, Plainfield Health Care Center, Roland Retirement Clubs, SHIIP, Southern Care Hospice, and Superior Home Mortgage. Most services are free and a senior center membership is not required.

A light lunch will be available at noon, as a fundraiser for Senior Services, provided by Northview Christian Church. Cost of the lunch is $3.

The Hendricks County Senior Center is a service of Hendricks County Senior Services and is located at 1201 Sycamore Lane in Danville. For more information or to request a ride, call (317) 745-4303. Senior Services is funded in part by CICOA The Access Network, United Way of Central Indiana, and the generous donations of individuals and community organizations. Service is provided without regard to sex, race, color, religion, disability, or national origin.

 As posted By William J. Booher

Posted: June 21, 2008

Katrina Gossett, a 2002 graduate of Perry Meridian High School, will represent Indiana in July in the 36th annual Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant in Rockville, Md.

Gossett, 23, who will begin her final year of classes at the University of Chicago Law School in the fall, was diagnosed as an infant with spinal muscular atrophy, a form of muscular dystrophy.

She said she became interested in the Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant when she read a story about it in the Muscular Dystrophy Association magazine.

She was chosen to represent the state by Samantha Smith, Ms. Wheelchair Indiana 2008, who also is Indiana’s Ms. Wheelchair coordinator.

The national pageant, featuring contestants from 25 states and the District of Columbia, will crown a winner July 26.

Gossett said the national titleholder will attend various events throughout the country, including the annual Rose Bowl festivities in California.

A future attorney, Gossett said that if she were to be selected the new Ms. Wheelchair America, she would seek to end any type of discrimination against people with disabilities.

“The community at large needs to see people with disabilities participating in every aspect of life,” she said.

As published By South Nassau Communities Hospital 

Jun 15, 2008 - 10:59:18 AM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Oceanside, N.Y. — Best known for its use by individuals, celebrities and models to stave off “Father Time” and eliminate facial lines and wrinkles, the Botox injection is gaining increasing attention for its use in the treatment of a debilitating and painful condition known as spastic paralysis.

Also referred to as spasticity, spastic paralysis often occurs following a stroke, spinal cord injury, or brain injury. It is estimated that spasticity affects from 19 to 38 percent of stroke patients, often affecting the hands and wrists. Spastic paralysis results from the damage to the portion of the nervous system that controls and coordinates the movement of voluntary muscles (which are the muscles that allow us to walk, throw a ball, grip a pen, play the piano, sit in a chair, etc.) Spastic paralysis leads to stiffness and lack of mobility in these muscles, disrupting mobility, reclining as well as dressing, hygiene, washing, and other activities of daily living.

In the same way that Botox temporarily relaxes the muscles that contract to form lines and wrinkles, it can relax the muscles of patients with spastic paralysis.

“The patients we have treated with Botox injections have experienced good results,” said Ernesto Capulong, M.D., Chief of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Director of the SMART Center. “It’s an approved treatment for those patients who do not respond to other conservative therapies and rehabilitation. As long as the treatment is effective, patients can continue to receive injections, avoiding more complex and radical treatments, such as surgery.”

Botox (Botulinum toxin) is a protein that is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, the culprit of the food poisoning, botulism. The bacterium relaxes muscles by blocking the release of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, which triggers muscles, prompts excitability, arousal, and reward, and activates learning and short-term memory. A small dose of Botox injected directly into the spastic muscle(s) blocks the acetylcholine so that the muscle can loosen and relax, resulting in increased flexibility and mobility and reduced pain.

Patients experience relief within three to seven days following an injection. Relief typically lasts three to six months, so repeat injections are usually required. Patients can receive the injections for several months or many years after their disability.

A recent study led by Indiana University neurologist Allison Brasher, MD, on the benefits of Botox in reducing spasticity, found that people who had severe spasticity in their hands and fingers after a stroke were twice as likely to get relief from Botox injections as compared to patients who did not receive them. In the study, which was published in The New England Journal of Medicine, half of 126 stroke patients received injections of 240 units of Botox and half received injections of a placebo. Over the next 12 weeks the patients were asked to rate their improvement on one of four self-selected criteria: improvement in personal hygiene, dressing, limb position or pain. Sixty-two percent of those who were given Botox injections found relief of their symptoms, while only 27 percent of the patients taking the placebo reported improvement.

Other than the relief, there are few if any noticeable side effects produced by Botox, said Dr. Capulong. “That fact, combined with its proven effectiveness, makes the injection a perfect antidote for patients who don’t respond to physical therapy and rehabilitation.”

www.HealthNewsDigest.com 

– U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, announced recently that Josh Swoverland (Avon, IN), 16, is one of 25 student athletes with a physical disability selected to attend the 2008 International Paralympic Academy, September 5-11, in Beijing, China. Swoverland was honored to be selected to such a prestigious event, saying, “It’s awesome.  I was very excited (to be chosen).”

U.S. Paralympics also announced that Collin Shepherd, Youth Track & Field Coach at the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana Sports Program (RHISP), was one of 10 coaches selected from across the country to attend the Paralympic Academy in Beijing.  Shepherd, who has participated in RHISP as both a coach and coordinator for the last two years, said, “I was a bit surprised when I was accepted into the program, particularly due to my limited time involved with paralympic sports and RHISP.  However, anyone that saw me take the phone call from the Paralympic Academy could tell how excited I was to be accepted.”

The 2008 Paralympic Academy Beijing offers a very select group of young student athletes with physical disabilities and coaches to experience the Paralympic Games firsthand. Participants have the opportunity to meet U.S. Paralympic team members in addition to attending ceremonies and competition, gaining an insider’s perspective on the Games.  “Less than five-percent of kids with physical disabilities participate in physical fitness programs,” said Charlie Huebner, Chief of U.S. Paralympics. “The Paralympic Academy Beijing provides us an opportunity to recognize those kids with physical disabilities and programs that promote physical fitness programs and health.”  The first International Paralympic Academy took place at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. The second event was held at the 2006 Paralympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.  Student athletes, coaches and program leaders were chosen based on their essay entries focused on how sports have impacted their lives. Entries were judged by an independent panel.

Below is an excerpt from NWBA.org Posted by: Lakeshore on Saturday, June 14, 2008:

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—For the second time in two weeks the United States and Germany faced off in the championship game of a key Paralympic Games tune-up competition. And, for the second straight time the U.S. team claimed victory. The Americans defeated Germany, 50-37, on Saturday evening to win the 2008 North American Cup at Lakeshore Foundation, an official U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Training Site. The U.S. completed the tournament with a 5-0 record.

To read the full story go to NWBA.org or this direct link: http://www.nwba.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1295&topic=7&newlang=eng

Experienced Fantastic Flyers edged out their sister team the Turnstone Fearless Flyers 2-1 in the championship game to be crowned the best D2 Power Soccer team in the Nation. Ryan Grimes from the Fantastic Flyers open the scoring off a penalty kick to set up teammate Kent R for the slam dunk tip in. Then early in the second half Kent returned the favor by making a crafty cross pass to Ryan for the top of the key power shot to create a 2-0 lead for the Fantastic Flyers. Then late in the 2nd half Ryan G. almost cost his team the game after he received a yellow card for his aggressive play. This set up penalty kick goal for the Turnstone Fearless Flyers as Brandon made touch pass to Zack K who drilled the ball in the back of the net to bring the game within one goal however, it wasn’t enough as the Turnstone Fantastic Flyers won 2-1 over the Turnstone Fearless Flyers.  Winning didn’t come easy for the Turnstone Fantastic Flyers as 4 of their games this weekend were decided by 1 goal including both the semi final game and championship game. *In the semi final game between Fantastic Flyers vs GLASA Fire went into overtime; however, no one scored so it went to penalty kicks as the Fantastic Flyers score 2 goals to win. **In the Division 1 Championship Game the Indy Sudden Impact defeated the Circle City Rollers after the game went into penalty kicks. Below is a link to the web cast game: http://xable.com/index.php?page=videos&section=view_playlist&video_playlist_id=42Below are final scores/standings from both the Turnstone Fantastic & Fearless Flyers this past weekend (June 13-15) USPSA National Tournament hosted by the Suwannee Sports Academy (Georgia). Final National Power Soccer Division 2 Standings:1st - Turnstone Fantastic Flyers2nd - Turnstone Fearless Flyers3rd - Minnesota Courage Blizzards4th- Chicago GLASA Fire5th - RHI Indy Storm6th - Georgia Screamin’ Eagles 7th - Charlotte Power Surge8th- Chattanoogo SpeedersPool Play:Turnstone Fearless Flyers vs. GLASA Fire (4-1) Click here for web castTurnstone Fantastic Flyers vs. Courage Blizzards (2-1)Charlotte Power Surge vs. Turnstone Fearless Flyers (0-5)RHI Indy Storm vs. Turnstone Fantastic Flyers (1-2)Turnstone Fearless Flyers vs. Chattanooga Speeders (6-0)Turnstone Fantastic Flyers vs. N. GA Screamin’ Eagles (4-1)  

Semi-Finals

Turnstone Fantastic Flyers vs. GLASA Fire (3-2) Click here for web castTurnstone Fearless Flyers vs. Courage Blizzards (3-0) Finals 7th Place Game - Charlotte Power Surge vs. Chattanooga Speeders (1-0)5th Place Game - RHI indy Strom vs N. GA Screamin’ Eagles (2-1)3rd Place Game - GLASA Fire vs. Courage Blizzards (1-3)Championship Game - Turnstone Fearless Flyers vs Turnstone Fantastic Flyers (1-2)

A new, roomier venue attracted more than 500 guests to the ninth annual Racing to Recovery Gala that benefited the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation.

For the past few years, the gala had been held at Eddie Merlot’s, but foundation executive director Ida Cahill lobbied for space that was more wheelchair-friendly and big enough so guests could get a good look at the treasure trove of auction items being sold to benefit the foundation.

Most of the guests seemed pleased with the move to the Ritz Charles in Carmel, and the…event raised more than $300,000 for the foundation that funds medical research for spinal cord injury and supports related programs.

Schmidt, a former race car driver, has used a wheelchair since a January 2000 accident during practice in Orlando.

Shortly after the accident, Mari Hulman George endowed professorships at Purdue and Indiana Universities for paralysis research.

The Hulman George family, which owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, received the 2008 Partner for a Cure Award at the event. Schmidt noted that the Hulman George family, without fanfare, helped him in numerous ways following his accident, and that he appreciated their efforts to create the safest environment possible for drivers.

In addition, Mario Andretti received the 2008 Legendary Driver Award.

The auction included numerous items of racing memorabilia and other gifts. Some of the special IMS items were donated by the family of the late Buddy McAtee, who wanted some of his racing relics sold to benefit the foundation.

Driver Danica Patrick donated the racing suit she wore when she won her first IRL race in Japan in April. Performance Tire Service Co. exec Barbara Butz got to take that blue suit home for $15,000.

 As posted by Susan Guyett of the IndyStar 5/25/08

July ‘08 ——————————————–
7 Bradford Woods All-Sports Camp
30-31 Youth Basketball Camp

September ‘08 ——————————-
13 Volunteer and Athlete Appreciation Dinner
October ‘08 ————————————
(TBD) Kids Discovery Sports Day

OTHER SPORTS EVENTS

-Adult Basketball
Open Gym
Date: Every Wednesday evening
Time: 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Location: Municipal Gardens
- Youth Basketball Team Practice
Practice will resume in the Fall

- Adult Basketball Team Practice
Team practice will resume in the Fall