SoldierStrong Physical Recovery Program

Philip joined the Navy in April of 2010 at 24. It was May of 2014 when Nolan and his shipmates decided to do a pre-work exercise on mountain bikes. Making a wrong maneuver Philip fell and broke his spine leaving him paralyzed and requiring the use of a wheelchair.

Years had gone by and Philip was not receiving the care needed to treat his spinal injury. It was through SoldierStrong and an independent physical rehabilitation facility, Project Walk, that Philip was introduced to the SoldierStrong Physical Recovery Program.

Since working with SoldierStrong and a New Jersey based Rehab center specializing in spinal care Nolan has been able to regain feeling in his calf muscles. According to neurosurgeon’s, this is a sign Philip might actually regain some level of walking mobility, something Philip was told in the past would never happen. This is something SoldierStrong has also heard before in other program recipients….that are now walking! SoldierStrong is proud to be partnered with facilities such as Project Walk to give our veterans the possibility of standing or walking again.

My name is Gabrielle Boykins, a 31-year-old Army Veteran paralyzed from the waist down. On the night of June 24, 2012, I was driving home to care for my disabled brother as I had been doing for 10 months to the exact day. I never made it home that night. I awakened almost a month later from a coma to be told I was involved in a rollover motor vehicle accident resulting the breaking of C5,C6,T7,T8,T9 and leaving me with a Traumatic brain injury. I was hospitalized for 4 months and underwent inpatient therapy. The day before I left the hospital my mom who served 32 years active duty found out that Tricare my military insurance dropped me because I had been discharged without any notification while I was in a month-long coma. My mom had to fight tooth and nail to get Tricare to pay 3 million in hospital bills. That day my fight for recovery truly began.

Upon leaving the hospital I got my affairs in order to get my care and therapy provided by the VA since I was a veteran. They took over my health care 100% but as far as intensive therapy was concerned not so much. I was told there were limited resources for neurological intensive therapy because it’s such a complex specialty.

Eleven months post injury I was shopping one day and sparked a conversation with a lady talking about her 40-year-old friend who had been paralyzed since she was 3 years old and was now walking assisted with a walker because she attended an intense rehab called “Project Walk Atlanta”. As soon as I could get to my computer I put in my application. I didn’t care it was a 3 hour round trip with no way of getting there and back. I was determined to figure it out. I started my therapy program with them exactly 1-year post injury and it was the best move I’ve made since my injury. All of my prior therapy was done in my wheelchair so I didn’t know what I was capable of. That very day I learned I could initiate a step. I went 3 days a week for 2 hours. They taught me how to sit unassisted, sit to stand, leg presses, crawl. Over the course of 2 years, I attended as much as my finances allowed. When the opportunity came to come to Project Walk Mount Laurel, I found out that SoldierStrong has taken my rehabilitative costs down to zero. I am grateful to have met both organizations.