22 replies to this topic

[movenut]

Hello all.. my father broke c-3-5 on July 8, 1961 in a diving accident. He has fathered 3 children naturally and worked multiple jobs to provide for our family while my mother stayed at home and raised us kids. He has been active throughout his life and tried many activities including rafting, kayaking, water-skiing, and most recently snow skiing...with mixed results. We got him on the slopes 12 days this year and he loves it! He drives an adapted van and has maintained an amazing level of independence considering he has no hand function and cannot grasp objects. He has been an amazingly optimistic and positive person throughout his life, but it has become more difficult for both of us to stay motivated as the years go by. I am 38 years old and I have been his primary carer for most of my life. His 50th injury-anniversary is coming up in July and I am planning a big party in his honor. I am also working with him on his life story and considering other ways we can help him inspire others. In my research I have found the guinness record holder to be Lani Deauville. I am curious if there are others who have lived over 50 years with quadriplegia. I would welcome any comments or advice..

Nate-Salt Lake

[qbounce]

Yes, the star of our forum's name is Scribbler.
He's a quadriplegic injured in WWII.
Any further details though, should probably come from him.
Anyway, welcome to the site.

Invite him to join this fine site. It's truly a great, therapeutic way help and inspire others who are just beginning to go through what your father has already mastered.

[greybeard]

qbounce, on 22 June 2011 - 11:46 PM, said:

Yes, the star of our forum's name is Scribbler.
He's a quadriplegic injured in WWII.

WW1 surely? He is very old you know. Wasn´t it a Sopwith Camel, or Triplane, or something he used to fly?

(Sorry Scribbs. Couldn´t resist it.)

[Wombat !]

i'm only quad for 6 years........50 years?........wow

[davjed]

I'm glad to see another who has been injured longer than me. I'm a t-12/l-1 para injured just 6 months after your dad on Dec. 16/17, 1961. This is my golden year also. I will be 70 next week and the past 15 years have gotten pretty rough. Glad he's still active and involved and maintains a good attitude. Best wishes for continued longevity.

[dangerousdave]

I watched a black and white film on the Boer War and I could have sworn it was Scribbs in that spotting balloon floating over a field full of Zulu's
Can you confirm this Smiley

[Smileyblue]

I'm afraid the war was before my time.. Lol.. But it just doesn't sound right.. Our Scribbs doesn't use hot air balloons.. He swings through the vines.. Our own "Tarzan".. He was going to send me photos, but I think they got lost in the mail..

[dangerousdave]

True ... these jungle drums dont work as well as they used toooooooooo
Bloody natives use cell phones now
In Scribbs day it was a can and a bit of string

[goose]

movenut

First, let me commend you for helping your dad. I'm sure you have a very special bond with him. That's a great idea to give him a party. Are you planning a roast ? He sounds like a man who could inspire the world. Do you have a local TV Station or one close? This would be a great human interest story! What about a newspaper story? 50 Years is a big accomplishment....plan big.

Take pictures and post here. One night bring your dad on here and let him read or share some things with us. I'm sure he could teach us a few things.

Most important thing is have fun at his party!!

Edited by goose, 24 June 2011 - 05:44 AM.

[nomis]

It's encouraging to hear there are SCIs pushing deep into their older years and still active. I'm a bit of a novice with only 41 years experience at 63 but looking forward to another active decade.

As for Scribs, didn't he get injured in a failed attempt to beat the Wright brothers?

[dangerousdave]

Scribbs did indeed beat the wright brothers
He jumped out of his burning balloon with a clip board in each hand waving franticly as he speedily decened towards a stragiticly placed mound of straw
The air flow over the large clip boards enabled him to guide his decent and miss the stragicaly placed mound of straw
It was noted that the brown clouds ejected from his rear propelled him into a linear decent rather then a straight down fall
Unfortunatly he left his wheeled carrage behind in his haste to avoid the burning wreckage
Thus he now abides in a new fangled wheel carrage

[rue2you]

Why does it say "Lurker" on his profile?

[Trinity]

rue2you, on 24 June 2011 - 04:36 PM, said:

Why does it say "Lurker" on his profile?

http://www.apparelyz...g-in-the-forum/

[Millard]

movenut, on 22 June 2011 - 10:28 PM, said:

Hello all.. my father broke c-3-5 on July 8, 1961 in a diving accident. He has fathered 3 children naturally and worked multiple jobs to provide for our family while my mother stayed at home and raised us kids. He has been active throughout his life and tried many activities including rafting, kayaking, water-skiing, and most recently snow skiing...with mixed results. We got him on the slopes 12 days this year and he loves it! He drives an adapted van and has maintained an amazing level of independence considering he has no hand function and cannot grasp objects. He has been an amazingly optimistic and positive person throughout his life, but it has become more difficult for both of us to stay motivated as the years go by. I am 38 years old and I have been his primary carer for most of my life. His 50th injury-anniversary is coming up in July and I am planning a big party in his honor. I am also working with him on his life story and considering other ways we can help him inspire others. In my research I have found the guinness record holder to be Lani Deauville. I am curious if there are others who have lived over 50 years with quadriplegia. I would welcome any comments or advice..

Nate-Salt Lake

Hello Nate,

There is a guy, Bill on CareCure who is 72 years old and was injured when he was 15...57 years ago and he's a quad. I have been injured only 44 years. There was a big discussion about Lani Deauville. Bill had been injured longer but Lani is older.

Good luck to you and your Dad.

[Stand]

This is very encouraging. I was told that the average life span of a quadriplegic is 67.7 years. Has anyone else ever heard this number or something like it? I guess there are many deciding factors on this as well.

Anyway, good luck and happy anniversary to your father!

[shady]

Stand117711, on 25 June 2011 - 01:29 AM, said:

This is very encouraging. I was told that the average life span of a quadriplegic is 67.7 years. Has anyone else ever heard this number or something like it? I guess there are many deciding factors on this as well.

Anyway, good luck and happy anniversary to your father!

Thanks for that really cheery piece of news Stand. At 47 and only 4 years injured, I'll look forward to that now

[Iain]

Stand117711, on 25 June 2011 - 01:29 AM, said:

This is very encouraging. I was told that the average life span of a quadriplegic is 67.7 years. Has anyone else ever heard this number or something like it? I guess there are many deciding factors on this as well.

Anyway, good luck and happy anniversary to your father!

The mean of a VERY wide range, which is biased towards the lower end by early deaths, so if you exclude 1st year deaths it increases a lot and even more so if you exclude deaths in the first five years

I spend my life looking at the sort of data (for my job - I'm not sad enough to do it for "fun") and average is a pretty useless construct for a lot of health data

[Stand]

shady, on 25 June 2011 - 02:48 PM, said:

Stand117711, on 25 June 2011 - 01:29 AM, said:

This is very encouraging. I was told that the average life span of a quadriplegic is 67.7 years. Has anyone else ever heard this number or something like it? I guess there are many deciding factors on this as well.

Anyway, good luck and happy anniversary to your father!

Thanks for that really cheery piece of news Stand. At 47 and only 4 years injured, I'll look forward to that now

I apologize!

I hope you live to 67.6 and well beyond!

[Millard]

When I was in rehab in 1967, I was told the average lifespan of a quadriplegic was 15 years after injury. That was 44 years ago. I guess I must be dead almost three times!!!

[Smileyblue]

Lol..

Millard, the friendly ghost..

[catmint]

Millard, on 26 June 2011 - 05:23 PM, said:

When I was in rehab in 1967, I was told the average lifespan of a quadriplegic was 15 years after injury. That was 44 years ago. I guess I must be dead almost three times!!!

My husband was injured in 1968.

Good job he wasn't 'Mr Average' or we would never have met..

[90pound]

[munkypoop]

When I was in Baltimore, Maryland, I was told by the doctor there that quadriplegic's life expectancy, providing they are in good health condition as far as health in paralyzed people goes, is 60 – 65 years old. Now this is from the arguably best spinal cord injury Dr. in the United States at the Kennedy Krieger Institute.