Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 7, 1994 TAG: 9408080008
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By M.J. DOUGHERTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DRAPER LENGTH: Medium
``The group, they didn't hesitate,'' said Dempsey Hensley, the coordinator of recreation and leisure programs at Ferrum. ``They just got up, hooked in and then jumped. There were no second thoughts at all.''
Survivors on the Move provides recreational and social activities as well as a support system for adults who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. It was founded two years ago in Floyd County by a New River Valley woman who had suffered a severe head injury while in college.
``Lots of people, when they are first here, have no expression [on their face] and don't say anything,'' said Bert Early, who suffered his injury in an auto accident. ``Then over time, they might put a hand out. They're saying 'Thanks for being a friend.'''
The group has a planned outing every month. The participants come from Virginia and surrounding states and their age ranges from the 20s to the 60s. Most of them suffered their injuries as adults. And everyone is expected to contribute in order to make the event a success.
``It's no-walls rehab,'' said Tim Redford, one of the group's founders. ``We like to call it 're-life.'''
Often Survivors on the Move tries to tie the activity into something happening in the community. For example, the group went camping for a week recently. The first day, June 4, coincided with National Trail Days. So the group hiked a mile along the New River State Trail, crossing the New River.
Karita Knisely of Draper and Larry Dalton and Susan Bahnson of the Hiawasee-Allisonia area helped with those arrangements.
``I sort of had the idea,'' Knisely said. ``I knew about things they could do. Then Larry and Susan took over and did the work.''
The activities that day included paddle-boat rides, fishing on the river and a country catfish fry at dinner time.
From there, the Survivors spent some time along the New River at the Horseshoe Camp Ground in Draper, took a day trip to the Shenandoah Valley, went to Ferrum, where they became the first persons with disabilities to use the ropes course, and after some more time at the campground, capped the week's activities with a visit to New River Valley Speedway.
Even with all of those planned activities, there was plenty of opportunity for spontaneous fun. One of those times occurred when Cecil Whetstone Jr. of Floyd decided to take a trip down the hill from the campsite in his wheelchair.
``I had to do something so I went down the hill,
said Whetstone, 24, who suffered head injuries when struck by a car at age 3. ``Then I crashed. So I decided if that's the way it's going to be, I'll walk back up the hill. I had to ask someone to go get my wheelchair. ... All I could do was laugh [afterward].''
Providing opportunities such as these to the survivors of severe head trauma injuries is just the beginning of what the group hopes to accomplish.
The group will seek formal incorporation as a federal tax-exempt organization. Plans are being made for leadership training for the group's officers. And its members hope to work with health care facilities to create a more dynamic and active rehabilitation program for survivors of head trauma.
``I know what it is like to have a head injury,'' said Mary Kneisley, president of the group and a survivor of a head injury suffered as a field hockey player at the College of William and Mary in 1988. ``So I am able to articulate what it is like. That's why I see so many opportunities opening up out there to create a [better] environment.''
In two years the group has accomplished a lot. It has received national recognition. It has created a symbol of its mission - a purple ribbon. And it has helped people regain some freedom and some joy in their lives.
``It has really changed my life; it's challenged me to do things I never did before,'' said Donald Richards Jr., who was injured in an auto accident seven years ago and now serves on the group's board of directors. ``The group has grown in leaps and bounds. We're getting to be known nationwide. We went to Florida for the TBI [traumatic brain injury] rally and they knew who we were. I'm just glad to be a part of this organization.''
by CNB