Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Centre (Northern Alberta) Society - Dedicated to Helping Others Help Themselves!

20 year Anniversary 1987--2007

The Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Centre (Northern Alberta) Society (SCITCS) provides opportunities to people with a spinal cord injury through four main facilities.

THE GLENROSE REHABILITATION HOSPITAL NEUROLOGICAL UNIT

Patients with SCI are given a SCITCS Never Say…”Never” T-shirt, a free membership to SCITCS, a copy of the SCITCS Newsletter and a $19.99 copy of “Daring To Live,” an inspirational compilation of true stories outlining the accomplishments of people with a disability. The book was on the local best selling list for 6 weeks. In addition the SCITCS Visitation Committee invites all the patients on the neurological unit to a monthly pizza party and an Annual Christmas Party. SCITCS continues to provide equipment to patients with a spinal cord injury (SCI) and to provide assistance where appropriate to the staff.

SCITCS FUNCTIONAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION (FES) EXERCISE CLINIC named in 1993

Situated in The Steadward Centre at the University of Alberta (U of A), Edmonton.
Since 1990, when the first Ergys Computerized Bicycle was purchased and donated, SCITCS has provided an opportunity for people with various forms of paralysis to participate in an exercise program that now includes three Ergys 2 computerized FES stationary bicycles, an FES rowing machine and 2 SpectraStim 2000. (NOTE: See video of a computerized bicycle in action under SCITCS FES Exercise Clinic)

SCITCS FUNCTIONAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION (FES) RESEARCH LABORATORY created in 2006

Located in the Transitional Research Facility University of Alberta. The Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry created the SCITCS FES Research Laboratory in June 2006 in recognition of the provision of two SpectraStim 4M four channel muscle stimulators, two Ergys Clinical Rehabilitation Systems and Accessories, One Ergys Data Management Station www.musclepower.com Concept 11 rower with the addition of adaptations and FES www.fesrowing.org and an FES Arm Cranking Trainer--the first of its kind in North America Engineering Research for Spinal Cord Injury manufactured by Hasomed of Germany www.hasomed.de NOTE: See Research to learn more about the FES research being conducted in the SCITCS FES Research Laboratory

REHABILITATION NEUROSCIENCE GROUP FACULTY OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY March 2007

SCITCS has donated the Reha FES outdoor Tricycle to the Rehabilitation Neuroscience Group under lead researcher Richard Stein PhD To see the tricycle being driven around Bellahouston Park in Glasgow Scotland by a person with paraplegia click on Engineering Research for Spinal Cord Injury and click "here" (upper left of the page.)

To date SCITCS has donated approximately $1.5 million (in today's dollars) to FES research, the SCITCS FES Exercise Clinic. and the SCITCS FES Research Laboratory. This includes in excess of $28,000 towards the development of the FES rowing machine. Learn more about FES indoor competitive rowing in the UK. and $20,000 to the "learning to walk...again" CARRE project. University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry.

We wish to acknowledge the donation, from The Wildrose Foundation of the Government of Alberta, to purchase a Computerized Ergys 2 Bicycle.

For information on the Ergys Bicycle go to www.musclepower.com

To participate in an exercise program call 780 492-3182 or E-mail info@steadwardcentre.org

Top Left to Right: Jean Ursulak, Orysia Olijnyk, John Miller and
Carrol Rumpel

Bottom Left to Right: Louise Miller and Bohdan Olijnyk

Not present Joyce Sharum

Awards

SCITCS presents five, $500 awards, to graduating students from the following institutions: Grant MacEwan College, NorQuest College, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and University of Alberta (U of A). One of the requirements for recipients of this award is that they are a volunteer for an organization involved with people with disabilities.

One of the awards, the Carla Tabler Award, is named for a SCITCS board member who died of leukemia in December 1993.

In April 1998 SCITCS created a bursary at the U of A to recognize
Louise Miller C.M., MBA founding member of SCITCS and a ten year past president.

On September 25th 2004 SCITCS presented its first annual SCITCS $500 award to an Occupational or Physical Therapist who has made a significant contribution through research, clinical practice, rehabilitation, or service to enhance the quality of life of clients with a Spinal Cord Injury.

Download Nomination Criteria.

A PROPOSAL TO CONSIDER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ACCESSIBLE PROVINCIAL PARK FIXED ROOF FACILITY IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE PROVINCE SIMILAR TO WILLIAM WATSON LODGE IN PETER LOUGHEED PARK IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE PROVINCE was Submitted to the Honorable Gary Mar, MLA - March 9th 2005

Download a copy of the Proposal.

OCTOBER 19th 2006 A group of dedicated individuals named the FRIENDS OF THE NORTHERN ABILITIES LODGE AT BLUE LAKE is looking for help to support the Government of Alberta to create a William Watson North. The Government has recently completed a cost analysis to make the Blue Lake site accessible for use by some of the 332,000 Alberta citizens with disabilities and the thousands of Alberta senior citizens who periodically attempt to visit the overbooked William Watson Lodge in the Southern part of the Province.

SCITCS believes your support is vital to the success of this initiative for all the reasons outlined in the proposal above.

You can support this initiative by talking to your MLA, distributing brochures or/and sending the FRIENDS emails outlining your experience's) at William Watson Lodge.

Please contact them to get brochures, to get involved, to show your support for this visionary project.