Suffering a spinal cord injury can be devastating. Tasks that were once taken for granted become distant goals.
Suffering a spinal cord injury can be devastating. Tasks that were once taken for granted, like brushing your teeth or putting on a jacket – become distant goals.
Just ask Beth Bronson – a former local soccer coach and outdoors enthusiast – who was paralyzed in a car crash on the Hood Canal Bridge nearly four years ago.
“I was in the ICU for 10 days,” said Bronson. “I couldn't feed myself. I couldn’t do practically anything.”
Following the crash, Bronson had no movement in her right arm, limited movement in her left, and could not use her legs. After completing physical therapy at the University of Washington, she wanted more. That desire to work harder, to push herself, led her to Pushing Boundaries.
The center is Washington state’s only intensive exercise therapy center focused on regaining function to those paralyzed due to injury or illness. Bronson has been coming to Pushing Boundaries three times a week for the last two years with remarkable results.
“I can feed myself,” said Bronson. “I can brush my teeth. I can do things that people take for granted that I couldn’t do before.”
Bronson credits the staff and state-of-the-art equipment at Pushing Boundaries. It is the only local facility of its kind that offers continued rehab after traditional inpatient and outpatient therapy.
Bronson uses a locomat that holds her upright, allowing her to experience what walking feels like. There’s also a computerized treadmill that uses a projection system to help people navigate obstacles.
“As far as the outpatient world, publicly accessible, you have to go to Sacramento or Denver to find another place that you can use this kind of equipment,” said Pushing Boundaries Interim Executive Director Amanda Koppes.
Bronson also uses ARC-Ex. It’s the first FDA-approved external spinal cord stimulator. Pushing Boundaries is one of two clinics to offer it in the state of Washington. Bronson says the technology hasn’t just given her more mobility – it’s given her hope.
“It’s too easy to get depressed and to think about what was – not what can be,” said Bronson. “There need to be more places like this for people.”
