HOW WE GOT STARTED AND BY WHO

    In late 1984 Dan Wilkins and his mother Patt Wilkins saw the need for some sort of peer support for those who have sustained spinal cord injuries. At that time there were very few people that knew what a newly injured person and his or her family was going through. Resources were little and difficult to obtain. To get things started they contacted a few rehab centers around Toledo and Northwestern Ohio letting them know that they were starting a support group and when and where they would have their monthly meetings. In 1985 several individuals joined with them forming a small group of ten to twelve persons plus family members. The first meetings were held at a church in Oregon, Ohio. This was a good distance for many to travel but it was important enough that they made the trip each month even when the weather wasn't the greatest. As everyone passed along their experiences with things from accessibility, work, school, and just the amount of time that personal care took whether it was in the home or other facility. From this they decided what types of things would be most important to a newly injured person.

    Then the local hospitals and rehab centers were contacted to let them know that we had several members that were willing to visit people with new injuries to lend an ear, lend moral support, and answer as many questions as they asked.

Date this site was last updated: January 15, 2008