Our Mission
The mission of the T-Bird Foundation is to provide financial assistance for spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation not covered by insurance and to provide advocacy and resources for families in the first year of recovery.
Part One:
Rehabilitation is key to mental and physical recovery.
Individuals with spinal cord injuries (SCI) require intense therapy to stay healthy and to help their body’s nervous system relearn the most basic tasks. This therapy costs $115 - $150 per hour and is not covered by insurance. To help address the financial burden of this therapy, we created the foundation to help fund grants to individuals with SCI who want to attend specialized SCI rehabilitation centers and other exercise-based rehabilitation programs but cannot afford it.
Specifically, grants will be awarded locally by the T-Bird Foundation to people that have suffered an SCI to be used for rehabilitation. The hope is that our financial assistance will help to make a meaningful impact in their lives physically and mentally.
Justin is currently doing rehabilitation at Journey Forward, click on the link below to learn more about them and all that they do to help people with Spinal Cord Injuries.
Part Two:
From the first few weeks post-injury to returning home, there is a lot to learn. We're here to help.
No one is prepared for the moment a loved one is in a serious medical situation, hospitalized, and entering a long road of recovery. It's a rollercoaster of emotions from being scared, overwhelmed, and nervous, to empowering, knowing that you are now a caregiver and are stepping up to take care of the person and family that you love.
We are here to help you navigate those first few days, weeks, and months, from hospitalization to rehab facilities to prepare for coming home and managing the realities of your new day-to-day. Please contact us, no matter where you are in your journey, and we are happy to listen, provide resources that helped us, and guide you the best way we can.
For Caregivers, a few quick tips to consider as you take on your new role:
Listen: There is a lot to learn so ask lots of questions, and write everything down
Advocate: Don't always assume things are getting done on your and your loved ones behalf, check and double check and follow up.
Ask for help: This is a big one, but just do it. Lean on family, friends, your co-workers. You'll be surprised by how much help you get and you will need it, don't be shy!
Take care of yourself: This is a hard one, but try and find time to rest, take a break from the mental load, it can be exhausting
2023 Grant Recipient
Heather Edison
Heather (pictured left) and her best friend, Elke
In early January 2023, while on winter break from her job as an occupational therapis at Weymouth public schools, Heather Edison had a fall in her kitchen that broke her C3/4 vertebrae, causing her to lose feeling and movement below her shoulders. With stays at four different hospitals around Massachusetts, Heather endured many surgeries and procedures in the first few weeks of her injury, including spinal fusion, a tracheostomy, and being on a ventilator. She also battled pneumonia and pleural effusion early on but didn’t give up. Slowly but surely, she celebrated each milestone, such as weaning off the ventilator and passing her swallow test!
Upon getting stronger, in May, she was accepted into a rehabilitation program at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA, where she stayed for 7 weeks. There she learned adaptive techniques to help her adjust to her new reality of living with a spinal cord injury, such as operating her wheelchair and using her cell phone. Upon her arrival home, she contracted a serious infection which kept her hospitalized for another 3.5 weeks. However, her trach was removed before being discharged and that was another landmark achievement. Heather has been home on the South Shore now since mid-August and is working with the help of her mom to line up home care and order all necessary supplies.
They say that the first year of a spinal cord injury is the hardest and this is proving to be true! There is so much to learn, so much to fight for, and so much to purchase to acclimate to this new way of living. With the help of the T-Bird Foundation and their generous grant, Heather will be able to start renovating her bathroom which needs to be reconstructed to accommodate her shower chair. Heather is so very grateful for the amazing support from Sarah, Justin and the T-Bird Foundation!
“My husband suffered a C5 Spinal Cord Injury a year after Justin suffered his injury. I first heard about Justin from our friend, whose boss happens to be Justin’s sister. Turns out, I graduated high school with Justin, so I knew him about 30 years ago. I ended up communicating with his wife, Sarah, while my husband was at Spaulding Rehab, and she was gracious enough to allow me to visit their home to see their set-up. From that point on, Sarah and Justin, have been an amazing resource for us. Justin has often spoken and visited my husband to offer support, and Sarah responded almost instantly whenever I had a question or concern. Her information was far more valuable than any information we received from rehab or doctors as she actually lived through the exact situation a year ago and was able to help navigate the system and find simple solutions to otherwise complex challenges. She was such an inspiration to me that I hope to “pay it forward” someday for anyone else who suffers this life changing event. ”