Max
06-17-2003, 01:49 PM
Survivor beats spinal injury odds
By Matthew Van Dongen
Monday, June 16, 2003 - 02:00
Local News - Bob Asham has played and coached enough sports to know a spinal cord injury can happen to anyone.
The St. Catharines resident came close to being paralysed for life in 1988 while playing in a non-contact hockey game at the Haig Bowl.
Asham was chasing down an opposing player on a breakaway when he caught his skate in a rut and slammed head first into the boards.
The 26-year-old damaged several vertebrae in his neck, effectively paralysing him from the neck down.
"All I could do was twist my wrists for the first six months," said Asham, now 41. "They gave me a 10 per cent chance of ever moving anything from the neck down again."
Surgery to fuse his C5, C6 and C7 vertebrae together put Asham on an agonizingly slow road to recovery that is still unfinished.
Part of that journey included a ride on a motorized scooter through Thorold on Saturday morning to raise money for spinal cord research.
Several dozen Niagara residents showed up for the first annual Rick Hansen's Wheels in Motion ride, walk, wheel blade and run.
The Wheels in Motion Foundation was started by Rick Hansen, a paraplegic who raised funds for spinal cord research with his Man in Motion World Tour in 1985.
Niagara organizer Lucie Catterall said the Wheels in Motion fundraiser is taking place in more than 160 Canadian communities this year.
At the event Saturday, Asham joked and talked with others including skateboarders, cyclists and runners who joined him on the 2.5-kilometre journey through Thorold,
Spreading the word about spinal cord injuries and research to new people is an important goal of the event, he said.
Asham follows developments in spinal cord research through his doctor and recently participated in the trial of a new drug meant to help damaged nerves work better.
"It can happen to anyone and not just in sports," he said of spinal cord injuries. "Hopefully, we can get to the point where they can do something to repair them. I don't want to see anyone else going through this sort of thing."
But Asham also wants people to know a spinal cord injury isn't a death sentence.
Surgery and a determined rehabilitation effort allowed Asham to recover much of his mobility - so much so that he can drive and walk with the aid of a crutch.
"It was a slow process, it took a lot of rehab, but slowly I got things back," he said.
These days, Asham doesn't let his injury slow him down. He works at Dofasco Inc. in the mechanical office, coaches bantam hockey and is a full-time dad and husband for three-year-old daughter Camryn and wife Helen.
"Going to work, coaching, that's my rehab now," he said. "Now that I'm involved in (Wheels in Motion), I'm going to stick with that.
"Hopefully, we can build on this year's event and make it a good one for the whole region."
ID- 35068
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http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentID=35068&catname=Local+News
By Matthew Van Dongen
Monday, June 16, 2003 - 02:00
Local News - Bob Asham has played and coached enough sports to know a spinal cord injury can happen to anyone.
The St. Catharines resident came close to being paralysed for life in 1988 while playing in a non-contact hockey game at the Haig Bowl.
Asham was chasing down an opposing player on a breakaway when he caught his skate in a rut and slammed head first into the boards.
The 26-year-old damaged several vertebrae in his neck, effectively paralysing him from the neck down.
"All I could do was twist my wrists for the first six months," said Asham, now 41. "They gave me a 10 per cent chance of ever moving anything from the neck down again."
Surgery to fuse his C5, C6 and C7 vertebrae together put Asham on an agonizingly slow road to recovery that is still unfinished.
Part of that journey included a ride on a motorized scooter through Thorold on Saturday morning to raise money for spinal cord research.
Several dozen Niagara residents showed up for the first annual Rick Hansen's Wheels in Motion ride, walk, wheel blade and run.
The Wheels in Motion Foundation was started by Rick Hansen, a paraplegic who raised funds for spinal cord research with his Man in Motion World Tour in 1985.
Niagara organizer Lucie Catterall said the Wheels in Motion fundraiser is taking place in more than 160 Canadian communities this year.
At the event Saturday, Asham joked and talked with others including skateboarders, cyclists and runners who joined him on the 2.5-kilometre journey through Thorold,
Spreading the word about spinal cord injuries and research to new people is an important goal of the event, he said.
Asham follows developments in spinal cord research through his doctor and recently participated in the trial of a new drug meant to help damaged nerves work better.
"It can happen to anyone and not just in sports," he said of spinal cord injuries. "Hopefully, we can get to the point where they can do something to repair them. I don't want to see anyone else going through this sort of thing."
But Asham also wants people to know a spinal cord injury isn't a death sentence.
Surgery and a determined rehabilitation effort allowed Asham to recover much of his mobility - so much so that he can drive and walk with the aid of a crutch.
"It was a slow process, it took a lot of rehab, but slowly I got things back," he said.
These days, Asham doesn't let his injury slow him down. He works at Dofasco Inc. in the mechanical office, coaches bantam hockey and is a full-time dad and husband for three-year-old daughter Camryn and wife Helen.
"Going to work, coaching, that's my rehab now," he said. "Now that I'm involved in (Wheels in Motion), I'm going to stick with that.
"Hopefully, we can build on this year's event and make it a good one for the whole region."
ID- 35068
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Printable Version
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thank you for reading St. Catharines Standard online. Click here to order convenient home delivery.
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentID=35068&catname=Local+News