Wings for Life - Spinal Cord Research Foundation

Dustine West had worked hard to get his dream job as a police officer when one day, an accident on his way home ruined everything and changed his life as he knew it. Today, Dustine is overcoming his accident by putting pen to paper. This is his touching story: https://bit.ly/3VpMNDl 💙 #FacesofHope

"I can imagine that one of the next steps will be to partially restore hand function" - Professor Jan Schwab is neuroscientist at The Ohio State University and one of the most renowned spinal cord injury specialists worldwide. He not only is founding member, but scientific director at Wings for Life and developed a multi-stage, independent selection process that enables the selection of top international projects 🔬🙌 #FacesofHope

Lisa loves horse riding. One day, after a training session on horseback, she suffers a severe fall that realizes her greatest fear: Lisa is forced to surrender control: "It's tough for me to see myself in a wheelchair now. I often struggle to believe that these legs belong to me." #FacesofHope Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/ePfzrFH7 💛

Congratulations to the research team led by Grégoire Courtine and Jocelyne Bloch in Lausanne, who have identified a new brain region for deep brain stimulation 🔬🧠 In their latest work, they showed that stimulation of this area improved the walking function of two patients with incomplete spinal cord injuries: https://lnkd.in/gVhKWawx   A further clinical study on deep brain stimulation is currently underway in Switzerland with the support of Wings for Life, and we are very much looking forward to the final study results 🙌 https://lnkd.in/e_QzkXYM Picture: Roman Burri EPFL

Philip is a happy, married man with four children. His life used to be idyllic. Up until 19 January 2019 - when a fall in his garage turned his world on its head: "I have spent all my life being fiercely independent..and you never get used to somebody having to help you in the shower in the morning." Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Philip White 🙏 #FacesofHope   Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/eA2rgrcV

The freedom to run, dance, or hug your loved ones – sometimes it's the little things that mean the most 💙 Together, we can rewrite medical history and make these dreams a reality. At Wings for Life, 100% of all donations go directly to spinal cord research – to find a cure for spinal cord injury 🔬🙏 #FacesofHope www.wingsforlife.com

“If our efforts are successful, patients will regain motor functions, such as finger, hand, arm, and leg movement.” – Professor Michael Sofroniew not only is a neuroscientist at the University of California, but one of the most influential minds in spinal cord research. His findings relating to the “glial scar” that forms after a spinal cord injury proved groundbreaking for the research field 🔬👐 #facesofhope Read more here: https://lnkd.in/epmbauux David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

"If my partner's running on the beach with my dog, I still get really sad just because I can't join in" – This is Casey. She is 33 and was injured after going over the handlebars of her mountain bike. Since then, she can no longer feel or move anything below her waist. Her biggest wish: "I would love to go on a coastal walk and go swimming in the sea." Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Casey 💙 #FacesofHope Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/e7DGi3Uc

Angelino Zeller was injured in 2017. His paraglider collapsed 20 meters above the ground, leaving him with a spinal cord injury. Today, he is a three-time Paraclimbing World Champion. What would he do if there were a cure? "I would love to climb a mountain again." #facesofhope

Meet the brilliant minds who are paving the way to cure spinal cord injuries and restore independence to so many affected people around the world #facesofhope 🔬💡✨