DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan's Top 5 Biggest News Stories of 2011: #1 Revealed

All this week we’ve been counting down RIM’s top 5 biggest news stories of  2011 and today we reveal #1 on our list.

Drum roll please….DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM) helps paralyzed bride walk down the aisle.

Our story about Jennifer Darmon’s journey to walk on her wedding day captured the hearts of every one, resulting in national and international headlines.

Jennifer was paralyzed in a 2008 car accident. She began therapy in RIM’s Center for Spinal Cord Injury Recovery program shortly after. At first her goals were simple; to get stronger, be more independent, to be able to stand. But when her boyfriend Mike Belawetz proposed, Jennifer set a new goal; to walk down the aisle at her April 16, 2011 wedding in Windsor, Canada.

We first starting sharing Jennifer’s story in February by recording a video diary of her progress and sharing it on YouTube where her “Walk for Love” series received almost 100,000 views. From her first awkward steps practicing in therapy in a borrowed wedding dress from RIM physical therapist, Katie McSween, to her breathtaking walk down the aisle and first dance with her husband, viewers couldn’t get enough of Jennifer’s story.

Jennifer’s story appeared on The CBS Early Show, Today Show, Inside Edition, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, and countless newspapers across the U.S. and Canada. And the media is still sharing her story. This week she was featured on a national news program in Japan and is profiled in this week’s Women’s World magazine.

Jennifer’s entire “Walk for Love” video series can still be viewed on YouTube but here a is link to our favorite…Jennifer on her wedding day http://youtu.be/6-AwqJGmh6k

DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan's Top 5 Biggest News Stories of 2011: #2 on our Countdown

This week on Facebook we are counting down and sharing DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan’s Top 5 biggest news stories of 2011.

Coming in at #2 on our list is: Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM) Selected to Study Robotic Legs for Persons with Spinal Cord Injury

RIM is among 10 rehabilitation centers in the country that will participate in an investigational trial of Ekso (formerly called eLegs). Ekso is a wearable robot developed by Ekso Bionics, that powers wheelchair users up to get them standing and walking.

Ekso is a ready-to-wear, battery-powered exoskeleton that is strapped over the user's clothing. The user initiates the steps by triggering non-invasive movement sensors in the crutches that communicate with the computer carried in a backpack. The patient doesn't bear the weight, however, as the device transfers its load directly to the ground. Ekso provides unprecedented knee flexion, which translates into the most natural human gait available in any exoskeleton today.

The rehab hospitals selected for the investigational trial will be the first Ekso Centers in the world, conducting ongoing research, and offering the device for the rehabilitation of their patients. Physical therapists at Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan’s (RIM) Center for Spinal Cord Injury Recovery will be using Ekso to primarily treat spinal cord injury patients for balance, posture and gait training.

“The Center for Spinal Cord Injury Recovery has a history of seeking out the most innovative and state-of-the-art technologies and therapuetic treatments for improving function and quality of life after a spinal cord injury,” says William H. Restum, PhD, President, RIM. “We believe Ekso is an exciting opportunity to further advance the functional recovery of the patients we serve.”

DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan's Top 5 Biggest News Stories of 2011: #3 on our Countdown

This week we are counting down and sharing DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan’s Top 5 biggest news stories of 2011.

Coming in at #3 on our list is: DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan celebrates 60 years of hope and healing.

To mark this milestone, RIM held an Anniversary Gala at the Fox Theatre on March 10, 2011, where we celebrated some of the remarkable patient success stories RIM has been a part of over the past 60 years. Guests were also treated to a special performance by Motown recording artists, The Contours.

The Rehabilitation Institute of Metropolitan Detroit was founded on March 6, 1951, to help persons with disabilities return to their communities at the highest level of independence, not only physically, but psychologically, socially, and vocationally.

Sixty years later, Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (as we are called today), has grown into one of the top rehabilitation facilities in the country and is a leader in teaching, research, and patient care in the rehabilitative field.

To learn more about our history, click on the link to watch our special anniversary video.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzIfbkDrh2M

DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan's Top 5 Biggest News Stories of 2011: #4 on our Countdown

This week we’re counting down and sharing DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan’s Top 5 biggest news stories of 2011.

Coming in at #4 on our list is: Ndamukong Suh hosts Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan’s (RIM) Celebrity Wheelchair Basketball Game.

The Detroit Lion’s defensive tackle served as the celebrity host for RIM’s 10^th Annual Game on September 22, at Oakland University. This unique, one-of-a-kind fundraiser supports the wheelchair sports program at RIM. The game features sports celebrities and radio and television personalities, who compete in wheelchairs along with RIM’s award-winning wheelchair basketball team, the Detroit Diehards.

“I’m excited to be a part of this great event,” said Suh at a press conference before the game. “Sports have always been an integral part of my life and I am honored to be involved with an event that combines competitive fun with raising awareness for a good cause.”

The Celebrity Game raised over $45,000 for RIM’s wheelchair sports program. More importantly, it raised awareness about the many abilities of persons with disabilities.

Click here to watch a highlight video from this year’s game.

DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan's Biggest News of 2011: #5 on our Countdown

This week we are counting down and sharing DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan’s Top 5 biggest news stories of 2011.

Coming in at #5 on our list is: DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan is named one of the nation’s “Best of 2011 Rehab Facilities‟ by Rehab Management magazine.

Rehab Management launched an annual program, “Rehab Management’s Best of Rehab Facilities,” to spotlight the nation’s top rehab care providers. Facilities across the continent were nominated for this program, which included a profile submitted by each facility that explained what makes them exceptional among their communities and peers.

In addition, RIM was featured in a full page spread in the August 2011 issue of Rehab Management magazine.

“We are honored to be recognized as one of the “Best of 2011 Rehab Facilities,” said William H. Restum, PhD, president, DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan. “This distinction is a direct reflection on the dedication and compassion of the staff at Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, who work hard every day to inspire hope and confidence in the patients we serve.”

For 60 years, the Detroit Medical Center's (DMC) Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM) has been dedicated to helping people with physical disabilities achieve the best life possible. As a national leader in the delivery of physical medicine and rehabilitation services, RIM has become a trusted organization that attracts patients and health care professionals from around the world. While best known for treating the most complex cases such as brain injury, spinal cord injury and stroke, RIM brings the same level of expertise to helping those with more common conditions including arthritis, back pain, and orthopedic and sports injuries. With its 94 bed inpatient hospital located at the DMC and 23 outpatient therapy sites throughout southeastern Michigan, RIM is one of the nation's largest hospitals specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation.