While swimming in the ocean she struck her head on a sandbar. The impact of that collision caused a burst fracture of her fifth cervical vertebrae. Therese is a quadriplegic with limited use of her arms and no use of her legs. Therese has spent the last 10 months in medical rehab and physical and occupational therapy.
Therese grew up in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from Grossmont High School and was a star basketball player on the varsity team. She received an athletic scholarship to the University of Idaho, a Division I, NCAA team. She transferred to Vanguard University in Newport Beach, California with an athletic scholarship. Therese has always loved basketball and that love was reflected on the court, to her team mates and her coaches.
Therese is determined to regain as much of her physical abilities as possible. She intends to walk and she has never ceased working towards that, despite being plagued by nearly continuous nausea and blood pressure so low that being upright causes her to black out.
In June 2009, she entered a program called Project Walk. It is an innovative and extremely intense physical training program that focuses on extending beyond the limits of what the spinal cord injured are currently capable. They push the envelope. For example, where Therese has the ability to extend her leg by mentally triggering a spasm, the Project Walk trainer will use that ability over and over developing a greater connection and building pathways that we hope will one day with God’s mercy enable Therese to walk again. This is possible. In fact it has happened there many times.
Project Walk is understandably expensive. If you look at Therese’s video online you will see that sometimes there are five trainers working with her at the same time. It is not covered by our medical insurance.
To assist with Project Walk and injury related expenses, a fundraising campaign has been established with the Help Hope Live Catastrophic Injury Program. All Contributions are administered by Help Hope Live exclusively for Therese’s injury related expenses.To email this page directly to others in your community, who might wish to learn about Therese’s campaign, click the email button and type in as many email addresses as you wish.
It’s never easy to ask for help and now is no exception. Therese has touched the lives of many and we deeply appreciate the support and prayers she has received. Your continued love and support will empower Therese in her challenging journey towards recovery.
To see Therese on FACEBOOK, search: Therese “T” Riedel #42 Updates
With sincerity and gratitude,
Becky Riedel
619-339-4668
[email protected]
Neil Riedel
619-248-3539
[email protected]
