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Jun 29

Cyber, electronic warfare blur tactical, strategic lines – C4ISR & Networks

One of today'sfrequentlyemerging adages is that the character of war is changing. The rapid pace of technologies and nascent domains of war such as cyberspace are turning what used to be tactical issues into issues of strategic importance.

If we dont win the cyber/[electronic warfare] fight, then the maneuver fight may not matter because we may not get to it, Maj. Gen. Wilson Shoffner, director of operations at the Army's Rapid Capabilities Office, said in early June, noting that the decisive fight may well be the electromagnetic spectrum as opposed to maneuver.

Moreover, if communications are disrupted via jammed radioswhich are increasingly more susceptible to cyber and electronic attacks as demonstrated in Ukrainethen campaign plans could be significantly affected.

To help close operational gaps and harness the evolution of commercial technology, the Army recently held its second Cyber Quest exercise, which is a cyberspace and electronic warfare experimentation and collaboration event held at the Army Cyber Center of Excellence in Fort Gordon, Georgia. It involves a search for emerging technology, ideas and concepts that could yield solutions for future requirements in realistic and replicated operational environments.

The Army is working to test new technologies to help inform requirements, doctrine and operational concepts in the cyberspace domain. Photo Credit: U.S. Army This exercise works to inform future Army planning, said Maj. Gen. John Morrison, commanding general of the Army Cyber Center of Excellence, during a June 28media call.

The Army identifies operational gaps that get passed to industry, academia and acquisition teammates who come to Cyber Quest with capabilities that are put in the hands of soldiers, Morrison said. The soldiers handling the equipment help to determine how these solutions might inform future requirements, doctrine and operational concepts, he added.

Cyber Quest will assist the Army in its requirements process. Morrison pointed out that the service is in the midst of developing requirements for a number of operational gaps identified for the exercise.

This will allow the Army to have solid operational concepts that underpin requirements and better inform the acquisition process.

If we develop requirements today, and seven years from now were trying to field a capability in the cyberspace domain, it simply will not work. Were behind before we even start."

The 40 capabilities brought to Cyber Quest by 27 vendors this year were tested in scenarios developed by Army Training and Doctrine Command that incorporated many of the threats that would originate from near-peer adversaries.

Everything was done with an eye toward the near-peer adversary, according to Lt. Col. Stephen Roberts, the lead project officer for this year's Cyber Quest exercise. Capabilities and measures were made to look like those seen in the battlefield, he said, so they could be assessed against specific real-world threats.

Morrison said some scenarios were built in where critical systems were spoofed, meaning the adversary was actually trying to make forces think something was happening inside the operational environment that wasn't actually occuring.

Solutions for defensive cyber operations capabilities were also tested. Some of these solutions are things that would be utilized to defend our networks and provide an operational edge for us to not only detect new attacks against our network but then also remediate those attacks in a rapid fashion, Roberts said.

Currently, it takes hours or days to detect or remediate these issues at the tactical edge. he noted. The service is trying to get that time frame down to minutes.

The exercises also served to conduct risk-reduction efforts for government-developed solutions and programs. Program managers and program executive offices put forth programs of record while labs such as the Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center provided four separate systems within the EW space, Roberts said.

Morrison said these government solutions were undergoing operational assessments of capabilities being examined by acquisition teammates deeper than where current programs of record are. This, he said, allows soldiers to get their hands on kits to provide feedback and take the right risk-reduction direction.

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Cyber, electronic warfare blur tactical, strategic lines - C4ISR & Networks


Jun 29

Life after 50: Newark Senior Center hosting open house – Newark Post

Im not old enough for the senior center!

I cant tell you how many times I have heard that since I became executive director 10 years ago. If you are brave enough to stop by for a visit, I think you will see that we are not your ordinary senior center; we are first and only nationally accredited senior center in the state of Delaware and continue to be a model center throughout the nation.

There is a saying in the senior center community if you have seen one senior center, you have seen one senior center. All senior centers have their own unique personality, offer a variety of programs and services and choose to meet the needs of the community in many different ways. I would like to invite you to visit the NSC at 200 White Chapel Dr. in Newark on July 13 from 4 6 pm or July 14 from 9 am noon for an open house.

The open house will showcase the various programs and services provided by the center. If you are not familiar with the center, I think you will be amazed at the variety of programming designed to meet the needs of the 50-year age range of the population that we serve.

Yes, our age is 50 and over. There are many opportunities to appeal to our younger members and plenty of inspiration as we admire the older participants at the center. If you are already a member of the center, you will learn more about all that we do offer and the new programs and services that continue to meet the changing needs of our community.

You are welcome to stop by anytime, tour the center and see what sets us apart. We are pleased to offer: a therapeutic pool, supervised fitness center, exercise classes to meet every level of ability, enrichment opportunities like the computer club, discussion groups, art classes, language classes, endless social opportunities and a wonderful freshly prepared lunch each day. We also have many volunteer opportunities that enhance every area of our center and make our Meals on Wheels and Meeting of Minds programs possible.

The NSC is also home to a Social Services Director / Caregiver Resource Center. Many resources are available to assist individuals with: insurance questions, caregiver support, housing, financial coaching other service that may help people to age in the community.

The NSC fills many needs for individuals and for the community. Please join us at the open house and please come with an open mind.

Carla Grygiel is chair of the Delaware Aging Network and executive director of the Newark Senior Center. She writes a monthly column in the Newark Post that highlights issues facing seniors in Newark.

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Life after 50: Newark Senior Center hosting open house - Newark Post


Jun 28

LDS Church employees receive paid maternity leave, new dress code – Daily Herald

A handful of major announcements for employees of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were made Wednesday in a memo distributed to church employees.

The LDS Church, which is the largest employer in Utah, made five major health and wellness changes for its employees in an effort to align its policies and benefits with other national businesses.

Church employees, including employees at Brigham Young University and other church-owned colleges, will now receive six weeks of paid maternity leave to recover from childbirth. Employees also now have one week of paid parental leave, which new mothers may stack on top of their maternity leave.

Additionally, major changes are coming to church employees dress codes. Women who were previously confined to skirts and dresses in their dress code may now wear pantsuits and dress slacks. Men can now wear light-colored dress shirts as opposed to white shirts 24/7.

Men may also now remove their suit jackets when the weather is too hot.

The dress code changes do not apply to church-sponsored schools like BYU, where the dress codes were less restrictive than at the Church Office Building or on Temple Square.

For church employees working on Temple Square, including in the Church Office Building, a new wellness center will be opened in October 2017 on the seventh floor of the Church Office Building. It will include cardio and weightlifting equipment, group fitness studios and exercise classes.

Wellness programs will also be available for all full-time employees, whether they work at Temple Square or not.

In late December 2017, full-time employees will have the peace of mind of a short-term disability plan.

According to the memo, after seven days of being ill, injured or otherwise disabled, employees can receive two-thirds of their salary from day eight to day 45.

More information on the short-term disability plan will be available to employees during open enrollment in October.

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LDS Church employees receive paid maternity leave, new dress code - Daily Herald


Jun 28

YMCA offers free programs in the Park – Kokomo Perspective

In an initiative to get into the community and help Howard County get active, the Kokomo Family YMCA has unveiled a seven-week workout program.

We were looking for ways to get into the community and to get people engaged in a healthier lifestyle, said Director of Healthy Living China Antoine. While accomplishing those two things, we also wanted to create an environment where people werent intimidated by coming into a health facility.

The program, Workout Wednesday, was unveiled June 7 in Foster Park with a one-hour yoga session led by yoga instructor Debbie Baker. The crowd of yoga participants peaked at 50 attendees.

We had a fantastic instructor, Debbie Baker, who did a great job of accommodating everyone who attended the first class, especially those who had never done yoga before, said Antoine. We even had a father attend because his two daughters wanted to go, and the girls ended up going off to play. The dad stayed to finish the session.

Over the course of the seven weeks from June through August the classes offered and instructors teaching will vary. This program will feature many of the YMCAs most-visited classes, such as Yoga, Bootcamp Ripped, Refit, Zumba, and High Intensity Interval Training.

Its not the same thing every Wednesday. You get a little taste of everything we do at the Y, and this is a great time to take advantage of that for free, said Antoine.

The classes are provided free of charge with the convenience of everything needed to workout at the disposal of those who are partaking in the class. Culligan of Kokomo provides free water, GNC Live Well provides pre- and post-workout supplements, and the Greater Kokomo Chamber of Commerce provides sunscreen all free of charge.

We wanted to take care of as many hassles as possible, said Antoine. That way people arent worried about having the right stuff or being unprepared. On our first session, a lot of people didnt have yoga mats, and we had plenty to accommodate those who needed one.

Coming up, the next Workout Wednesday class will be offered June 28 from 6 to 7 p.m. Attendees will participate in the Refit class. Similar to Zumba, Refit entails a good amount of dance moves but with more of a focus on the actual exercise.

There is a lot of specific squatting and lunging that focuses more on the actual toning of muscles, rather than the cardio workout that Zumba provides. Its a unique class that a lot of people dont really know about. Its a great hybrid class for those who arent very comfortable with all of the dancing required in Zumba because everyone knows how to lunge or squat, said Antoine.

For Antoine and her Healthy Living associates, she wanted the citizens of Howard County to know this class is truly for everyone.

If there is any hesitancy about joining the classes, take the time to come out and just watch the first time and see what it is like. We dont want this to be a miserable time for anyone participating. As Howard County being one of the lower counties on the health index in Indiana, we want our community members to take advantage of something like this and take that first step, said Antoine.

For more information on Workout Wednesdays and the slated dates and programs visit, http://www.Kokomoymca.org/event/workout-wednesday.

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YMCA offers free programs in the Park - Kokomo Perspective


Jun 27

Rockin’ River Duck Drop introduces trading cards – Piqua Daily Call

Provided photo The Arnold Swiminator trading card, which is available for Mainstreet Piqua supporters who adopt a quack pack of ducks for the upcoming Rockin River Duck Drop.

Provided photo The Gene Swimmins trading card, which is available for Mainstreet Piqua supporters who adopt a quack pack of ducks for the upcoming Rockin River Duck Drop.

PIQUA What do collectible trading cards and ducks have in common? Well, for Mainstreet Piqua supporters who adopt a quack pack of ducks for the upcoming Rockin River Duck Drop, they will be treated to a specifically designed Rockin River Duck Drop Trading Card.

The trading cards were the idea of the Rockin River Duck Drop committee members. The ducky artwork on each card was created by local illustrator Aaron Lindeman, and the layout and design of the cards were done by Robin Heintz, committee member and communications specialist at the Piqua Public Library.

We always tell our supporters that, after their duck has been adopted, it is put into a rigorous duck training program. These trading cards show just a few elements of that training program, Lisa Whitaker, chair of the duck drop committee, said. The trading cards are just a fun way to add additional interest and a new dimension to the event. Its such a quirky event; we decided to have a little fun with it. We think our supporters will get a big kick out of them.

In all, there are 10 different trading cards featuring ducks doing various exercise programs including canoeing, boxing, roller skating, running, and yoga among others. The names of the duck characters are all appropriate for their sport, including Ducky Balboa for the boxing duck and Paddles McGee for the canoeing duck. There is even a Gene Swimmins card for the guitar playing duck!

Each week a picture of the trading cards will be posted on the Rockin River Duck Drop Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/piquaduckdrop, and those interested in collecting the cards can stop by the Mainstreet Piqua office or the information booth at the Piqua Community Farmer market to pick up that weeks card. A trading card will also be included in any quack pack adoption.

The Rockin River Duck Drop is in its third year and is a major fundraiser for Mainstreet Piqua. The funds raised by the Duck Drop event are used to support Mainstreet Piquas mission of celebrating and promoting downtown Piqua. Duck adoption forms are available at the Mainstreet Piqua office, Koverman Staley Dickerson Insurance, Apple Tree Gallery, Readmores Hallmark, The Tapestry Angel, Unity National Bank and the Miami Valley Centre Mall. They can also be adopted online at http://www.mainstreetpiqua.com. A single duck adoption is $5, a quack pack is available for $25 (six ducks) and a grand quack is $100 for 25 ducks. The duck drop will be held on Saturday, Aug. 19, at 6 p.m. at Lock 9 Park.

Sponsors for the Rockin River Duck Drop include Unity National Bank, A.M. Leonard, Crayex Corporation, Ticon Paving, Miami Valley Centre Mall, and PSC Crane & Rigging. Prize donors include Tom Lillicrap Mulch & Timber Services, Barclays Mens-Womens Clothier and Town and Country Furniture.

For more information about the event call Mainstreet Piqua at 773-9355.

Provided photo The Arnold Swiminator trading card, which is available for Mainstreet Piqua supporters who adopt a quack pack of ducks for the upcoming Rockin River Duck Drop.

http://www.dailycall.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_trading-card-seven-arnold-swiminator-CMYK.jpgProvided photo The Arnold Swiminator trading card, which is available for Mainstreet Piqua supporters who adopt a quack pack of ducks for the upcoming Rockin River Duck Drop.

Provided photo The Gene Swimmins trading card, which is available for Mainstreet Piqua supporters who adopt a quack pack of ducks for the upcoming Rockin River Duck Drop.

http://www.dailycall.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/web1_trading-card-ten-gene-swimmins-CMYK.jpgProvided photo The Gene Swimmins trading card, which is available for Mainstreet Piqua supporters who adopt a quack pack of ducks for the upcoming Rockin River Duck Drop.

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Rockin' River Duck Drop introduces trading cards - Piqua Daily Call


Jun 27

A little exercise goes a long way, especially in seniors – Bel Marra Health

Home General Health Senior Health A little exercise goes a long way, especially in seniors

The word exercise often induces images of sweat and labored breathing, discouraging many people. Exercising on a regular basis helps us stay healthy and maintain our weight when combined with a balanced diet. Despite knowing this, many people go without regular exercise.

This is very apparent in the senior population, where dependent behavior is actually encouraged. Perhaps it is due to their perceived frailty. But according to new research, this perception may be doing our elderly a great disservice.

Home care aides provide seniors and older adults with services and personal care to individuals that can no longer take care of themselves. While making sure they dont overexert themselves is of great importance, a study was done to see if using this method of senior care was best for their overall health.

The study investigated homebound seniors taking part in three low-risk, gentle exercises as part of a program called Healthy Moves for Aging Well. These included a seated step-in-place, arm curls, and an ankle point-and-flex. All exercises were guided by at home aides, making sure that participants were performing the exercises safely. Encouragement was also given to the older adults to complete exercises on a daily basis, and they were frequently reminded of their health goals.

A total of 54 subjects took part in the study, ranging in age from 63 to 101. For a total of four months, seniors were asked to perform these at-home exercises.

The researchers saw significant improvement in the participants ability to perform basic activities such as getting to the toilet, pouring a drink from a carton, preparing meals, and doing laundry.

He continued, few physical activity programs targetolder adultswho have difficulty with basic activities, such as standing and walking. Programs that do so effectivelythrough physical or occupational therapy, for exampleare often too expensive for wide dissemination among this group of people.

Overall function and health outcomes saw an improvement, and satisfaction with the program ranked high with 98% of participants.

The researchers are quite happy with the outcome of this study. They want to get more home care aids to develop and become involved in a sustainable health promotion program such as this.

Related: Seniors who feel close to God have improved well-being through prayer

Related Reading:

Combination exercises beneficial for seniors

Seniors, stay strong with these tips

https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/article-abstract/doi/10.1093/geront/gnx101/3869650/Promoting-Seniors-Health-With-Home-Care-Aides-A?redirectedFrom=fulltext

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A little exercise goes a long way, especially in seniors - Bel Marra Health


Jun 26

Chronic fatigue syndrome patients may benefit from guided exercise: Study – Bel Marra Health

Home Health News Chronic fatigue syndrome patients may benefit from guided exercise: Study

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a debilitating condition for patients as they constantly live with low energy. It can make daily life a struggle and the worst part is that there arent FDA-approved treatments for it, so patients are often left in the dark about what to do to improve their symptoms. Symptoms of CFS include extreme fatigue, muscle and joint pain, sore throat and tender lymph nodes, headaches, and difficulties with memory and sleep.

A new report suggests that patients may obtain some relief through expert-guided, self-help exercise programs.

For the study, 200 CFS patients performed workouts over the course of 12 weeks with either phone or online support from a physiotherapist. The patients physical activity slowly progressed over the 12 weeks as they established daily routines.

The researchers suggest that this form of guided exercise is useful for patients because it does not require them to leave their homes to visit a clinic.

The lead author of the study, Lucy Clark, explained, We found that a self-help approach to a graded exercise program (GES), guided by a therapist, was safe and also helped to reduce fatigue for some people with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Researchers are now trying to determine whether the benefits of the exercise lasted beyond the 12-week study period.

In an accompanying journal editorial, Dr. Daniel Clauw, director of the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center at the University of Michigan, praised the study by saying, The finding that graded exercise therapy is effective even when exercise is not being witnessed and directly guided by a physiotherapist is a substantial advance, since many patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and other functional impairment have difficulty getting to physiotherapy or do not have access to appropriately trained physiotherapists.

As mentioned, there arent any FDA-approved drug therapies currently available for treating chronic fatigue syndrome, but using natural remedies that can offer patients some relief is still a viable way to improve quality of life.

Related:Chronic fatigue syndrome diet: Foods to eat and avoid

Related Reading:

Depression and chronic fatigue syndrome: How are they linked?

Overcoming chronic fatigue syndrome: Steps to follow

http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)32589-2/fulltext

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Chronic fatigue syndrome patients may benefit from guided exercise: Study - Bel Marra Health


Jun 26

Exercise program improves performance of daily activities for frail older adults – Medical Xpress

June 26, 2017 by Jacqueline Carey Credit: CC0 Public Domain

An exercise program comprised of gentle exercises and taught by home care aides can help frail older adults perform basic daily activities, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago published in The Gerontologist.

"Despite evidence proving the benefits of regular physical activity for all people, regardless of age and ability, our health care system and long-term care norms encourage dependent behavior in older adults," said corresponding author Naoko Muramatsu, associate professor of community health sciences in the UIC School of Public Health and fellow of the UIC Institute for Health Research and Policy.

"This study challenges our passive care model and is one of the first to test an intervention for frail seniors using home care aides," she said.

The program, called Healthy Moves for Aging Well, includes three low-risk, gentle exercises: a seated step-in-place, arm curls and an ankle point-and-flex to home-bound older adults. Aides remind clients of their health goals and provide motivation to complete the exercises daily during regular visits.

For the study, Muramatsu and colleagues looked at the outcomes of 54 clients aged 63 to 101 living in Chicago who participated in Healthy Moves for Aging Well in a Medicaid and state-funded home care setting for four months. The researchers saw improvement in the ability to perform basic activities, such as getting to the toilet and pouring a drink from a carton, and light daily tasks, such as preparing meals and doing laundry.

"Improvement in these small tasks makes a large difference when it comes to quality of life, especially in a society that has not yet caught up to the needs of its aging population," Muramatsu said. "Few physical activity programs target older adults who have difficulty with basic activities, such as standing and walking. Programs that do so effectivelythrough physical or occupational therapy, for exampleare often too expensive for wide dissemination among this group of people."

"We are excited to see function and health outcomes improve, and we are also very excited to see that participation and satisfaction with the program was high," Muramatsu said. "This tells us that the program is sustainable for wider dissemination."

Ninety-eight percent of clients reported high levels of satisfaction with the program and 80 percent reported the program was "just right."

And, clients are not the only ones who benefit from this program. The research also found the program empowered and benefited home care aidesone of the fastest growing occupations is the U.S.who often lack access to wellness initiatives provided in more traditional workplaces. These secondary findings are published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Muramatsu plans to enroll approximately 300 home-care aides and their clients, in future studies. The goal, she says, is to develop a sustainable health promotion program that can be used widely by all kinds of people and organizations in community-settings.

Explore further: Tailored preventive oral health intervention improves dental health among elderly

More information: Naoko Muramatsu et al. Promoting Seniors' Health With Home Care Aides: A Pilot, The Gerontologist (2017). DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnx101

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Exercise program improves performance of daily activities for frail older adults - Medical Xpress


Jun 26

Supreme Court sides with religious institutions in a major church-state decision – Washington Post

The Supreme Court concluded its work for this session on Monday siding with religious institutions in a major church-state decision and with no indication that pivotal Justice Anthony M. Kennedy is retiring.

The speculation about Kennedy, who has served on the court for nearly three decades and is almost always the deciding vote in divisive cases on the nations biggest controversies, dominated the end of a relatively quiet Supreme Court term.

But the courts announcement of final decisions came and went without any word from Kennedy, whose former clerks had speculated he was considering leaving. The rumors were closely watched at the White House, where a vacancy would give President Trump the chance to solidify a more conservative Supreme Court.

In the church-state case, the court ruled 7-2 that it violates the Constitutions protection of the free exercise of religion to exclude churches from state programs with a secular intent in this case, making playgrounds safer.

Missouris state constitution, like those in about three dozen states, forbade government from spending any public money on any church, sect, or denomination of religion.

Trinity Lutheran Church in Columbia, Mo., wanted to participate in a state program that reimburses the cost of rubberizing the surface of playgrounds. But the state said that was not allowed.

The exclusion has raised big questions about how to uphold the Constitutions prohibition on government support for religion without discriminating against those who are religious.

The exclusion of Trinity Lutheran from a public benefit for which it is otherwise qualified, solely because it is a church, is odious to our Constitution and cannot stand, wrote Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.

The church had ranked high enough in its application for the safety surface that it would have received the grant, but for the denial from the state's natural resources department.

The express discrimination against religious exercise here is not the denial of a grant, but rather the refusal to allow the church solely because it is a church to compete with secular organizations for a grant.

Roberts was joined by the courts conservatives as well as one of its liberals, Justice Elena Kagan. Another liberal, Justice Stephen G. Breyer, agreed with the outcome of the case.

[Justices express sympathy with Missouri church at Supreme Court hearing]

(Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

Roberts made a concession that may have drawn some votes. In a footnote, he said This case involves express discrimination based on religious identity with respect to playground resurfacing. We do not address religious uses of funding or other forms of discrimination.

The two dissenting votes came from Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor.

Sotomayor issued a stinging dissent, and made clear her displeasure by summarizing it from the bench after Roberts announced the decision.

She said the ruling weakens this countrys longstanding commitment to a separation of church and state beneficial to both.

She concluded: If this separation means anything, it means that the government cannot, or at the very least need not, tax its citizens and turn that money over to houses of worship. The court today blinds itself to the outcome this history requires and leads us instead to a place where separation of church and state is a constitutional slogan, not a constitutional commitment.

Some states with the same restriction as Missouri already allow churches to participate in programs that are generally applicable to the public and are for secular benefits such as health and safety.

Adding a twist to the case, Missouri now does as well. The states new Republican governor, Eric Greitens, announced just before the April oral argument that he was reversing the policy that denied Trinitys application in 2012 and that churches are now eligible to participate.

The states new attorney general agrees, and a private attorney was appointed by the state to defend its old policy.

The case has been pending for a very long time. The court agreed to hear it in January 2016, just before the sudden death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

The case is Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer.

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Supreme Court sides with religious institutions in a major church-state decision - Washington Post


Jun 25

Jim Kenyon: A Fairlee Teen’s Journey Forward – Valley News

A few weeks after a skiing accident in February left her paralyzed from the hips down, 16-year-old Sierra OLeary received a text from a concerned Rivendell Academy friend who asked if shed ever walk again.

I dont know, OLeary responded. Nobody knows.

But this much OLeary does know: Its way too early to give up.

After completing nine weeks of therapy at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, OLeary could have returned home to Fairlee and got on with life as a paraplegic.

But at the urging of her parents, Robert OLeary and Susan Gyorky, Sierra has stayed in Boston and continued to push herself so she might some day walk again. At Spaulding, the family heard about a nonprofit organization called Journey Forward that works with people who have suffered severe spinal cord injuries.

OLeary spends two days a week at Journey Forwards gym in Canton, Mass., going through the paces of an intense exercise program aimed at getting her back on her feet.

Its not inexpensive, however. The sessions cost $100 an hour and are not covered by insurance. Her most recent bill came to $1,600. Her parents put it on a credit card.

Last week, I sat with Robert and Susan on the back deck, which was recently outfitted with a wheelchair ramp. Theyve looked into looked into renovating an upstairs bathroom to make it wheelchair-friendly and installing an elevator to their daughters second-floor bedroom.

But theyre holding off.

Do we fix up the house so Sierra can move back home? Robert said is a question they wrestle with. Or do we spend money on Journey Forward so she might walk back into the house someday?

In my gut, I know shes going to be able to walk again.

Sierra tried downhill skiing for the first time during Rivendells school vacation week in February. Her older brother, Jeremy, an experienced skier, took her to the Dartmouth Skiway in Lyme.

Sierra seemed to get the hang of the sport quickly. By the last run of the day, she was ready to strike out on her own. Ill meet you at the bottom, she told her brother.

But shortly after they got off the chairlift, Sierra took a wrong turn onto a steep slope, where she quickly picked up speed. I hit an icy patch, she told me. Im not entirely sure what happened after that.

Apparently, she lost control and hurtled into the air, landing hard on her lower back. When the ski patrol reached her, she said her legs felt locked up.

Susan, a registered nurse in Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Centers cardiac catheterization lab, was at work when her husband called. Robert, whos been a stay-at-home dad and has done odd jobs ranging from substitute teaching to waiting on tables, had just heard from Dartmouth Skiway that his daughter had suffered a back injury. An ambulance was taking her to DHMC.

Hospital tests showed that Sierra had suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury. The good news was that she still had feeling in her legs.

Sierra underwent a 12-hour surgery for a burst fracture of the first lumbar vertebra in her lower back. Afterward, she could still move her legs.

But 36 hours later, she took a sudden turn for the worse. She had lost feeling in her lower body and no longer could move her legs.

After two weeks at DHMC, Sierra was transferred to Spaulding, where doctors speculated that inflammation around the injured area was causing her paralysis. Spinal shock, they called it.

After the inflammation subsides, some patients have been known to regain their mobility, doctors told Sierra and her parents.

But it can take months, sometimes years.

Theres been a slow realization for Sierra that this wasnt something she could quickly bounce back from, her mother said.

Thats where Journey Forward comes in. It gives her something to be fighting for, Susan said.

The exercise regimen is meant to keep Sierra from losing muscle strength and bone density. That would increase her chances of regaining mobility, if the inflammation diminishes.

In one exercise, I pull myself up (on a bar) and someone holds my hips so I dont fall, Sierra told me over the phone last week. Standing up is kind of painful, mostly in my back.

I dont know if its going to work, but I might as well try.

Shes also joined a Boston-area YMCA that offers programs for the disabled and is undergoing outpatient therapy at Spaulding to learn how to navigate life from a wheelchair.

Shes living with her grandmother, who has a condo in a building equipped with an elevator, in Quincy, Mass. Her parents spend a lot of time driving back and forth to Boston, taking her to therapy sessions and bringing her home on weekends.

As news of the familys ordeal spread, offers to help poured in. Along with providing meals, people have volunteered to care for Sierras younger sister, Sofia, and watch the familys Siberian husky, Quincy.

Parish Players, a community theater group in Thetford that Robert has been involved with, donated the proceeds from its Fathers Day matinee. Fred Allard, a nurse who works with Susan at DHMC, organized a Sprint for Sierra fundraising event on Saturday at Rivendell.

A family friend started A GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign on Facebook to help with Sierras expenses, such as Journey Forward, that insurance doesnt cover.

Were lucky, compared to some people, her dad said. We live in a community that cares about us.

Jim Kenyon can be reached at jkenyon@vnews.com.

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Jim Kenyon: A Fairlee Teen's Journey Forward - Valley News



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