VIP is honored to share the story of military scholarship recipient, Cristian and family! We have been amazed by Cristian and his family since first meeting. Their determination and dedication to Cristian's health is inspiring and Cristian is one of the most joyful patients we see all day! At the age of 6, Cristian suffered a stroke, which they found was caused by a cancerous brain tumor. He was in a coma for five months and spent eight months at Rady Children's Hospital. Prior to his stroke, Cristian was an active young boy, enjoying playing soccer, baseball and swimming. After his stroke, it was like starting from scratch for Cristian, both physically and neurologically- he was being redeveloped from the inside-out. And this is when Cristian's family took action. His family began working to stimulate his brain again with massages and ROM exercises right after every bed bath. They would read to him, using baby toys that light up, say the alphabet and practice pushing buttons to work on gross motor and fine motor movements. His father, Nelson, who is active duty Navy, built a suit that would allow Cristian to practice walking while still in the hospital. The suit attached Cristian to his father in order to help support Cristian's weight while he practiced taking one step at a time. Nelson would promise Cristian dessert if he gave a certain amount of steps! The nurses were amazed at the benefits and results of this suit. They started dancing and cheering Cristian on from the nurses station to encourage Cristian to make it all the way to them at the end of the hall. Cristian has come a long way since those early months and we look forward to seeing continued improvement at VIP! And as you can imagine, Cristian loves being on the Lokomat- we are guessing it reminds him of the suit his father built. To donate to Cristian's therapy or learn more about the scholarship program, please visit VIP Scholarship Program.
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We would like to say a big THANK YOU to the Eva L. McKenzie Memorial Fund for their generous grant which allowed us to purchase new lobby signs for VIP NeuroRehabilitation Center!
Their contribution will help guide visitors and patients, as well as, improve the look of our lobby. We are very thankful for their contribution and support! Take a look at the new signs below: VIP is proud to announce an addition to our Board of Directors, Dana Moore! Dana has been a patient at VIP since 2014 and is one of the hardest working people we know. He is dedicated, focused, and always comes in with a smile. Dana's attitude and work ethic will be a great asset to VIP and we look forward to his input in 2016. You can view Dana's Bio below or visit the Officers & Board for all Board Bios. Dana Moore Dana Moore was born in San Diego and attended Rancho Bernardo High School. He then went to Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA after receiving an athletic scholarship to play NCAA division II lacrosse from 2008-2011. In his senior year in 2011, they went on to win the program's first national championship. He graduated with a degree in International Business. In November 2013, Dana was injured in a water well drilling accident in San Diego that fractured his thoracic 6-7 vertebrae leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. Before leaving the hospital, he already had VIP NeuroRehabilitation in his sights and began attending shortly after discharge and is still currently an active patient. In early 2016, VIP's president, David, approached Dana and presented him with the opportunity to become a board member and he graciously accepted. Dana is excited to join the board and help share his story and how valuable and beneficial VIP is to his life. He hopes to give others the same opportunity VIP gave him. Dana and his wife, Lindsay, enjoy spending time with their families and living active lives. They both enjoy working out and spending time outdoors, especially with their dog Stassi. VIP is proud to have awarded their 1st VIP Scholarship to a Navy veteran, courtesy of the Cushman Foundation, on December 14, 2015. This scholarship was given to Daryl (pictured left), who served in the Navy for 30 years on active duty. After his time in the Navy, he worked in the defense industry for 13 years. On September 24, 2015 Daryl suffered a severe stroke, which left him partially paralyzed on the right side. Due to this stroke, he has difficulty with balance, use of his hand, speech and memory. Daryl is highly motivated to improve his quality of life and is excited to begin therapy at VIP! After just a few sessions, he already enjoys his time on the Lokomat and feels it is helping him make great strides. We are thankful for his service to our country and honored to be able to help him in his recovery. To learn more about VIP Scholarships, please visit the VIP Scholarship Program. VIP NeuroRehab receives generous Grant Cushman Foundation has awarded VIP with a $10,000 Grant for VIP Patient Scholarships San Diego, CA – November 18, 2015 – VIP NeuroRehabilitation Center (VIP) is proud to announce that it has been awarded $10,000 by the Cushman Foundation to support the VIP Scholarship Program. This program was designed in 2015 to assist military, veterans, and low income patients. This grant is a huge stepping stone to reaching VIP’s goal of giving $25,000 to patients through the VIP Scholarship Program. Additionally, $6,000 of this grant will be designated to specifically support new veteran patients. VIP is honored to give back to the military and those who have given so much for this country. With several members of their Board of Directors being active duty military and their current President being a former Navy SEAL, this grant reaches those very near to VIP’s heart. “The Cushman Foundation’s generosity is amazing- it means a lot to know that there are others out there who care about helping my brothers as much as I do,” said David Charbonnet, VIP President, current patient, and former Navy SEAL. VIP, a 501c3 non-profit, located in San Diego. They provide top quality outpatient neurorehabiliative care to disabled military, veterans, children, and to all who are in need. VIP treats patients from ages 4 years old and up, with a focus on those who have difficulty moving secondary to Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Brain Injury, Cerebral Palsy, Spinal Cord Injury, and multiple traumas. The center offers hands on physical therapy and training sessions, which utilize the most modern equipment and advanced technologies, such as, the Lokomat, Giger and FES Bike. VIP works as a team in which each patient plays an active role. Every therapy is customized to help individuals reach their full potential. More information about the VIP Scholarship Fund and application can be found at www.vipneurorehab.org/scholarships. VIP NeuroRehab is proud of our President, David Charbonnet, for his involvement today with Stand Up and Play Foundation and Carl's Jr. Stars for Heroes, which support Veterans around the country! These organizations work together, along with the Independence Fund, to honor Veterans. One specific program they have in place is to gift Veterans with ParaGolfer Chairs. These amazing chairs allow them greater mobility for recreation, such as, golf, shooting, and much more! Don't miss the spotlight of these great organizations tonight (June 12th) on San Diego Channel 6 at 4pm and 10pm, featuring our very own, David Charbonnet! |
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