They told us to accept what we couldn’t change. Instead, we changed what we couldn’t accept.
"On April 21, 2007, I received the phone call no parent is ever prepared for. I was told my only daughter, Amanda, was being airlifted to a nearby hospital after a serious car accident. As I raced to the hospital, I could only think one thing: Please, let her be alive.
Once there, I learned Amanda’s friend had fallen asleep at the wheel, hit a traffic light pole and careened down an embankment. My 18 year old daughter, asleep in the passenger seat, became a human missile within the car. I was informed her neck was broken and she was paralyzed. According to her doctors, Amanda would never walk again.
Immediately, desperate panic for my child clawed at me, followed by feelings of confusion, anger, sorrow and uncertainty. I went from having an active, well-adjusted daughter who loved her family, friends and participating in dance, to a battered, bed-ridden daughter, unable to sit up, feed herself or be in control of her bowel or bladder function. From her bedside in the hospital, I vowed to fight for my child’s recovery. In the days and weeks that followed, Amanda was fitted for a wheelchair. We were informed our goals for regaining Amanda’s independence and complete mobility were unrealistic. We searched out what we felt was the best program in the world for those like Amanda and flew across the country. She made miraculous progress in the program, only to have our insurance limit reached too soon. She still has much work ahead of her.
This horrible reality is similarly faced by over 11,000 families each year. There are very few options for recovery, especially in Florida. A person living with a spinal cord injury is overwhelmed. They need recovery, hope, encouragement and a reason to wake up every day.
This is why we founded NextStep Orlando. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to help those suffering with a spinal cord injury (SCI) improve their daily living – by regaining function and perhaps, even walking again.
Thank you for your support as we continue to give individuals Hope."
Sincerely,
Liza Perla-Riedel Founder/Facility Director
NextStep Orlando exist to provide those living with a spinal cord injury and other types of paralysis the opportunity to achieve their greatest recovery potential and an overall increased quality of life.
NextStep Orlando is an affordable, state of the art, community-based Paralysis recovery and fitness center. By offering standardize activity-based therapy programs and interventions, based on research, our center provides the best chance for recovery, independence and health.
Eland Antunes