I have had the honor and privilege to “walk” with Claire on her journey since experiencing a spinal cord injury (SCI) in 2006 at the age of 14. Our family has been with her from Children’s Hospital Pittsburgh, to Kennedy Krieger in Baltimore, to Shriners and St. Christopher’s in Philadelphia to Journey Forward, an activity based therapy center in Boston, and back again, and back again… I have seen and lived first hand the positive benefits that ABT has had for Claire physically and emotionally – not just for Claire but for me and the rest of our family.

This is hard. This stinks. This is incredibly unfair. This is expensive. This can strain family relationships. The physical and emotional benefits of ABT for our family have been immeasurable. Physically seeing her progress with training, bantering with the trainers and other clients, forming relationships, the overall positive “vibe” was just an incredible breath of fresh air for me as her dad and the rest of our family!!! It reenergized us with the feeling of “yeah we can move through this and still have adventures, still have fun, still have a joyful life”. Everyone has heard that “attitude is altitude” and it is so true – not just for Claire but for everyone around her!

The benefit of ABT on reducing secondary complications cannot be overstated. As a parent and caregiver, seeing someone you love hurting even more than the hurt of the SCI itself is emotionally draining – the worry of where might this lead, the frustration that leads to anger of my child hurting and I cannot make it go away. Add to that the extra time and stress of dealing with the complication (in the hospital, at home, doesn’t matter). We still have to work, there are still dishes and laundry to do, grass to cut, little ones to help with school, etc. etc.,. The benefit of avoiding or reducing every secondary complication because of ABT cannot be calculated or measured! That is my personal experience.

I am absolutely convinced that the only reason Claire excelled in college (proud dad moment; she earned Summa Cum Laude!) was thanks to ABT. However, our family has a privilege that many others, including rural Appalachian areas near us, do not have- the ability to travel and take time away from work, among many other things. There is a growing need for localized ABT centers that can no longer be ignored. Individuals with paralysis and their families DESERVE the relief and treatment that ABT provides.

We are immensely proud of Claire for her hard work and dedication to bettering the lives of others through opening NextStep Pittsburgh. So, on behalf of Claire, our family, and individuals with disabilities who have been waiting for an opportunity like ABT, we humbly ask you to donate to NextStep. When the time comes to open the doors of NextStep, we want you to feel the same pride that we do in knowing that you made a difference in someone’s life thanks to your support. We are so grateful for your presence and interest in the cause, and we look forward to the day we see ABT used to improve lives everywhere.
-Ban Joevi