St. Francis student defies odds
Published Mar 20, 2006The Christopher Reeve Foundation gained attention earlier this month with the sad loss of its chairperson, Dana Reeve, to lung cancer. She fought alongside her late husband Christopher Reeve to improve the quality of life for the disabled and to explore new ways to treat paralysis. One St. Francis student has worked tirelessly for the CRF by raising over $280,000.
Molly Farrell, class of 2007, has had luck not only in fund raising but also in life. She started working with the CRF after surviving a debilitating accident at age 13, not unlike Christopher Reeve’s own horseback riding accident. Farrell was at a pool, practicing starts off blocks. She dove and somehow hit her head hard on the bottom. Soon after, she found herself in a hospital being told that she was paralyzed from the neck down. After about eight weeks, a miracle occurred as Farrell suddenly found she could move her big toe. With this faint sign of mobility, she got the opportunity to go through rehabilitation with Lokomat. Lokomat is a new robotic device that places a person in a type of exoskeleton. With the person’s legs and hips attached, the machine helps stimulate the body into regaining repetitive and functioning walking patterns. After much work, Farrell can now walk, only needing canes for support.
Since the CRF helped fund her Lokomat treatment, Farrell felt she should give back to the foundation by helping collect contributions through direct mailings. She has remained steadfast in her hope that the CRF and scientists across the country will one day stumble onto a cure that will successfully treat people with spinal cord injuries. Teen People magazine will include a profile of Farrell in their April 2006 issue under the heading “20 Teens Who Will Change the World.” The soon-to-be senior feels very flattered by the attention this has lavished on her. She said that her family and friends have supported her 100 percent through her accident, her recovery and her work for the CRF. Even at St. Francis, Farrell has worked just as ambitiously, currently serving as the sophomore class vice-president and formerly as the freshman class president. She invites everyone interested to check out the Christopher Reeve Foundation website available at www.christopherreeve.org.
E-mail
|
Print
|