thanks for your really nice answer....I thought that you might have had to
pick an age group...so, don't worry, you're forgiven...this time...next
time....well (just kidding). Kids with such severe SCI as Mandy's are hard to
find. We had our accident in Atlanta, GA. (where we lived)...not a very small
town you might think, anyway....in the Childrens Hospital she was the first
and only patient with a C-1 injury. Than - 2 weeks later - a little boy - C-1
as well - was admitted too.
Perhaps one day you can start a new research about children with SCI - young
children, because the causes of their injuries are already different from the
ones of adults. 4 year olds don't jump head first in shallow water, they
don't ride 10speeds smack into an eighteen-wheeler, they don't fall from
horses during a daring jump, or collide with a 250 lbs "bull" while fighting
for a tiny football...they get injured simpler, different...and always
without any daredevil doing adults usually "fall" for.
Than comes the time of treatment, trying to save their young lifes, how is
the family reacting, what to do with a SCI on a vent next, how does OT, PT,
RT really look in a child, how will the child react to the injury, when will
realization finally set in, how will the family cope, how will the siblings
cope, where will the child live - at home - or in a sub-acute -care facility,
how are they treated there, how does a day-to-day-life look like? Those are
some interesting questions, at least I think....Ok, I might be a little
selfish too, just being interested in this very young age-group (wonder why,
right?), but those kids might grow up into adulthood, the constant changes
you mentioned might be very interesting to observe too.
Well, just tossing some ideas your way...didn't want to upset you. Perhaps
you would like to show my e mail - and hopefully others like mine...to your
professors at the U, give them an idea.
Ok, for now...let you go. Hope you have only the best results for your
research, really.
Stay in touch.
Bye
Andrea