"A mountain bike accident left him paralyzed"

So much for the alleged "healthfulness" of mountain biking...

Mike

http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs...5/NEWS/2150304


Showing the way

Local physical therapist pairs former patients with new patients to
help newly disabled people learn how to cope
Jesse Gifford, right, shows Matt Thomas his specially modified van
that has been adapted for people with spinal cord injuries.Jim Craven
February 15, 2010
By Bill Kettler
Mail Tribune

Jesse Gifford knows all too well how Matt Thomas feels these days.

Thomas has been confined to a wheelchair since July, when a mountain
bike accident left him paralyzed. Gifford suffered a similar
paralyzing injury almost 13 years ago after a diving accident.

"Your whole world is shattered," Gifford recalled. "You don't know
what you're going to be able to do or whether you'll be able to
provide for yourself at all."

Physical therapist Leslie Black asked Gifford, one of her former
patients, to get together with Thomas to show him that a spinal cord
injury isn't the end of life. Black often recruits her former patients
to visit with new patients who arelearning to cope with disabling
injuries.

"Even though I've had a lot of experience working with people with
spinal cord injuries, I don't have one myself," Black said. "I think
there's a lot of benefit in having someone who deals with it day by
day be a mentor or a sounding board."

Gifford, 31, recently drove his specially modified van to Providence
Medford Medical Center to give Thomas, 35, some sense of what someone
can do, even with a spinal cord injury.

Right now, as much as anything, Thomas misses his freedom to just get
in the car and go.

"It sucks not being able to drive," he said. "I'm the equivalent of a
high school freshman."

Thomas, who worked as an engineer before his accident, quizzed Gifford
about the adaptive components of his rig. Gifford showed him how his
wheelchair locks into the floor and demonstrated the throttle and
brake controls for his left hand and the adaptations to the steering
wheel that allow him to steer with his right hand.

Gifford's visor-mounted cell phone caught Thomas' eye.

"What hand do you use (for the phone)?" Thomas asked.

"It's voice activated," Gifford explained. "I just say 'answer.' "

Gifford and Thomas both have what medical professionals call
"complete" spinal cord injuries, meaning they have no sensation or
movement below the injury site. They have some use of their arms, but
very limited grip strength.

"You're really lost at first when you have an injury like this,"
Gifford said, as Thomas and Black worked through a therapy session.
"It's good to show (newly disabled people) there's hope. It's good for
me, too. It makes me realize how much I've done."

Gifford, who lives in Eagle Point, recalled Black telling him after
his injury that he would be driving on his own again someday.

"I looked at her like she was crazy," he said.

Gifford did much more than learn to drive. He earned a degree in
computer science at Southern Oregon University and now works as a Web
designer.

"Even now I'm still learning how to do things," he said. "I'm still
finding out what I'm capable of."

Black said she tries to match former and current patients who have
similar backgrounds, education, life experience or age.

"You can't connect people just because they happen to be in
wheelchairs," she said. "I do think about personalities. People have
to have some kind of commonality."

Gifford and Thomas were both athletes. Gifford played high school
football and ran for the track team. Thomas was a kayaker, mountain
biker and climber.

Thomas, who lives in Medford, said he plans to return to school to
earn a master's degree in business administration and seek more
aggressive physical therapy.

"Seeing Jesse is a paradox," he said. "It's helpful to see someone
with that level of function. At the same time, it's a little
depressing to see someone paralyzed so long who hasn't recovered."

Thomas said he's still coming to terms with losing the person he was.

"Labor Day a year ago I was on a four-day kayak expedition down a
river nobody had ever done before," he said. "Spending next Labor Day
in a wheelchair is a pretty stark comparison."

Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 541-776-4492, or e-mail
.

Evolution in action!!!

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...gkyVgD9DTFMQO0

"Mike Vanderslut" wrote in message
...
Evolution in action!!!

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...gkyVgD9DTFMQO0

He walked on the UNSTABLE rim of the crater AFTER removing his protective
gear, he's been in the crater for 20-someodd hours in sub-freezing temps
with no warm clothes. They think he's okay because he blew his whistle a few
times.

On Feb 16, 5:38*pm, "Jeff Strickland" wrote:
"Mike Vanderslut" wrote in message

...

Evolution in action!!!

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...Gc9TBNun5ffDud...

He walked on the UNSTABLE rim of the crater AFTER removing his protective
gear, he's been in the crater for 20-someodd hours in sub-freezing temps
with no warm clothes. They think he's okay because he blew his whistle a few
times.

Who is going to repair the crater damage?

A bald eagle may have to take an alternate route now because of the
unsightly crater rim due to a SELFISH hiker.

Where's Mike Vandeman, the eagles need him now!

On Feb 16, 2:38*pm, "Jeff Strickland" wrote:
"Mike Vanderslut" wrote in message

...

Evolution in action!!!

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...Gc9TBNun5ffDud...

He walked on the UNSTABLE rim of the crater AFTER removing his protective
gear, he's been in the crater for 20-someodd hours in sub-freezing temps
with no warm clothes. They think he's okay because he blew his whistle a few
times.

The body has been recovered.

http://www.kgw.com/news/Climber-fall...-84413927.html

Sad news.

I didn't read anything about removing protective
gear. Did he have a rope to the other hikers?

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Jeff Strickland" wrote in
message
...

"Mike Vanderslut" wrote
in message
...
Evolution in action!!!

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...gkyVgD9DTFMQO0

He walked on the UNSTABLE rim of the crater AFTER
removing his protective
gear, he's been in the crater for 20-someodd hours
in sub-freezing temps
with no warm clothes. They think he's okay because
he blew his whistle a few
times.

They said he was wearing a helmet that he had taken off. They also said that
he didn't have warm clothes on, this will indicate that he had taken his
coat off. Apparently it was a relatively balmy afternoon as he stood on the
ice shelf for a photo op, when the ice broke away underneath him. Since he
was climbing and fell 1500 ft., it seems he must have taken his harness and
ropes off too. They said he survived the fall because they could here him
blowing his whistle, but the temps fell to sub-freezing overnight, and he
could easily have died as a result.

No helmet, coat, or ropes. That's lots of safety gear that he took off.




"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
I didn't read anything about removing protective
gear. Did he have a rope to the other hikers?

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


"Jeff Strickland" wrote in
message
...

"Mike Vanderslut" wrote
in message
...
Evolution in action!!!

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...gkyVgD9DTFMQO0

He walked on the UNSTABLE rim of the crater AFTER
removing his protective
gear, he's been in the crater for 20-someodd hours
in sub-freezing temps
with no warm clothes. They think he's okay because
he blew his whistle a few
times.

On Feb 17, 12:44*pm, "Jeff Strickland" wrote:
They said he was wearing a helmet that he had taken off. They also said that
he didn't have warm clothes on, this will indicate that he had taken his
coat off. Apparently it was a relatively balmy afternoon as he stood on the
ice shelf for a photo op, when the ice broke away underneath him. Since he
was climbing and fell 1500 ft., it seems he must have taken his harness and
ropes off too. They said he survived the fall because they could here him
blowing his whistle, but the temps fell to sub-freezing overnight, and he
could easily have died as a result.

Reports about him blowing a whistle are confused, first they said he
was doing it, later that seems to be in doubt. Certainly nobody was
close enough to hear a whistle.

I don't know about a rope, it is common to climb that mountain unroped
since it's not that steep. May he and his partner had a rope, maybe
not.

In article
,
" wrote:

On Feb 17, 12:44*pm, "Jeff Strickland" wrote:
They said he was wearing a helmet that he had taken off. They also said that
he didn't have warm clothes on, this will indicate that he had taken his
coat off. Apparently it was a relatively balmy afternoon as he stood on the
ice shelf for a photo op, when the ice broke away underneath him. Since he
was climbing and fell 1500 ft., it seems he must have taken his harness and
ropes off too. They said he survived the fall because they could here him
blowing his whistle, but the temps fell to sub-freezing overnight, and he
could easily have died as a result.

Reports about him blowing a whistle are confused, first they said he
was doing it, later that seems to be in doubt. Certainly nobody was
close enough to hear a whistle.

I don't know about a rope, it is common to climb that mountain unroped
since it's not that steep. May he and his partner had a rope, maybe
not.

First, he wasn't a "Hiker", but a Climber... Second, St. Helens isn't
near the mountain that it used to be now that 1/3 of its elevation is
now missing... Third, Washington doesn't have near the typical Snow Pack
that is normal for this time of year... and finally, this guy died, for
a PhotoOP, and because he was a DUFUS, and should have known better than
to go out on a cornice in the temps of that day... there is no fixing
the Terminally Stupid.... St. Helens had, and still has the Highest
KILLER Count of ANY mountain in the Cascade Range. More Tennis Shoe
Climbers have died on that Rock, for the simple reason that it can and
could be climbed in Tennis Shoes, while the Sun is shining, and there is
NOTHING between it and the West Coast to mitigate ANY Fast Moving Fronts
that blow in from the Pacific. When this happens, the temps DROP FAST,
Clouds obscure everything, and that leaves these unEducated folks in a
Whiteout, Freezing, because they only were out for the afternoon and
decided to take a "Walk" up the mountain, in Sweatshirts, and No Safe
Path down.... They were always found, Deader than a Fritter, when the Wx
lifts in a day or two... Been there, many times... gone looking for the
Terminally Stupid, to many time to count... and found most dead, and two
alive.... over a few decades.... before the top Disappeared.... Harry
was a Good Friend... RIP...

Thank you. I missed that, some how.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Jeff Strickland" wrote in
message
...
They said he was wearing a helmet that he had
taken off. They also said that
he didn't have warm clothes on, this will indicate
that he had taken his
coat off. Apparently it was a relatively balmy
afternoon as he stood on the
ice shelf for a photo op, when the ice broke away
underneath him. Since he
was climbing and fell 1500 ft., it seems he must
have taken his harness and
ropes off too. They said he survived the fall
because they could here him
blowing his whistle, but the temps fell to
sub-freezing overnight, and he
could easily have died as a result.

No helmet, coat, or ropes. That's lots of safety
gear that he took off.




"Stormin Mormon"
wrote in
message
...
I didn't read anything about removing protective
gear. Did he have a rope to the other hikers?