MAPLE LAWN, October 25, 2020 – When Kennedy Krieger Institute opened a second location of its International Center for Spinal Cord Injury recently, it was with the help of a Washington, D.C. family who knows firsthand of the impact of its innovative and effective therapy programs.
Phyllis and Sidney Bresler and their son and daughter-in-law Jonathan (Jon) and Sarah Bresler, in partnership with The Robert I. Schattner Foundation, Inc., made a $1 million gift to make the second outpatient location of this renowned Kennedy Krieger center a reality.
The center’s vision is for every person with paralysis to experience meaningful recovery and life improvement. The Breslers first learned about the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury when Jon was diagnosed more than four years ago with a cavernous malformation of the spinal cord which caused him to lose mobility from the mid-chest down.
Prior to and following surgery, Jon received 12 weeks of outpatient therapy at the center’s original location on Kennedy Krieger’s East Baltimore campus, an experience that was transforming. “I was able to get a significant amount of my strength back. I progressed from a wheelchair to a walker to a cane to being able to walk without assistance,” he said. “And I know that the care that I received at Kennedy Krieger was very instrumental in that recovery.”
Located in Fulton, Md., three miles from Interstate 95, the new 9,500-square-foot International Center for Spinal Cord Injury outpatient facility is convenient for those traveling from the Baltimore, Northern Virginia, Annapolis and Washington, D.C., areas. It offers the same comprehensive, one-of-a-kind medical and rehabilitative approach as does the center’s original location, with the latest in high-tech rehabilitation equipment and advanced robotic technology designed to improve functioning for those with spinal cord injuries and disorders. Additional highlights include onsite physician appointments, a wellness gym, adult and pediatric therapy spaces, aquatherapy-based gait training, dual ground-level entrances, and space for future expansion.
“My family and I, along with The Robert I. Schattner Foundation, are beyond thrilled to support the expansion efforts of Kennedy Krieger,” Jon Bresler said. “Having a location that is closer to Washington, D.C. will help provide the Institute’s special services and expertise to a huge population in need.”
The center’s original location, at 801 North Broadway in Baltimore, was founded 15 years ago on the philosophy that individuals with paralysis can always hope for recovery following injury. The center’s team of doctors, social workers, psychologists, and physical and occupational therapists work together to help individuals reach their maximum potential after injury. Patients receive Activity-Based Restorative Therapy that was developed at the Institute’s program. Starting with the first visit and through every therapy session—and even between care sessions—physicians and therapists work closely with patients and their families. This personalized, medically-directed approach ensures the best possible outcome for each patient. The Center offers both in-person and telehealth services.
For more information about the new center, located at 11830 West Market Place in Fulton, Md., click here.
About Kennedy Krieger Institute:
Kennedy Krieger Institute, an internationally known, non-profit organization located in the greater Baltimore/Washington, D.C. region, transforms the lives of more than 25,000 individuals a year through inpatient and outpatient medical, behavioral health and wellness therapies, home and community services, school-based programs, training and education for professionals and advocacy. Kennedy Krieger provides a wide range of services for children, adolescents and adults with diseases, disorders or injuries that impact the nervous system, ranging from mild to severe. The Institute is home to a team of investigators who contribute to the understanding of how disorders develop, while at the same time pioneer new interventions and methods of early diagnosis, prevention and treatment.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Grace Clark
Grace@ProfilesPR.com
410-243-3790 (office)
Jessica Gregg
greggj@kennedykrieger.org
443-823-9811 (cell)
