High-Tech Wheelchair Gives Paralyzed Man a New Lease on Life
(ARA) - It usually takes a big win by the football team or some great news about academics to bring a stadium full of Stillwell High School students to their feet; but not long ago, Dennis Rhoads, 58, a counselor at the Oklahoma school did something even more impressive.
"I came into the gymnasium, waved to everyone and did a 360 in my wheelchair," says Rhoads. "There was a lot of hooting and hollering as I spun around. The kids were very supportive."
You could say that rally was a rebirth of sorts for Rhoads, who has worked at the school as its guidance counselor and athletic director since 1994. About five years ago, his spirit was crushed when a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. It happened on a cold April night less than 10 miles from his home. Some animal ran out in the road in front of him and he slid into a ditch while trying to avoid it.
"When I first came home from the hospital, I was frustrated all the time," says Rhoads who quickly tired of having to ask everyone around him for help. "I went from being completely strong and independent to being unable to do even the simplest things, like get a book down off the shelf for myself," says Rhoads. "It was very demoralizing."
Right away, he decided things happen for a reason and he had to make the best of his situation, but it was hard. "It seemed like every time I turned around, I was faced with a limitation," says Rhoads.
With his manual chair, he could no longer attend games at rival schools that did not have wheelchair friendly stadiums; he couldn't complete a lot of work tasks without the help of an assistant; and in his off time, he could no longer play the way he used to with his best friend, Oreo, a Labrador/Australian Shepherd mix.
"My old wheelchair just wasn't capable of maneuvering over the rough terrain we have in our neighborhood," says Rhoads. Fortunately his new one, the chair that got the students so excited, can do that and more.
The INDEPENDENCE iBOT 4000 Mobility System is a unique wheelchair that uses multiple computers to help its users overcome their mobility restrictions. The chair enables people with disabilities to easily perform such feats as climbing curbs and stairs, moving over rough terrain, like sand, gravel and grass, and even elevating themselves up to eye-to-eye height with able-bodied people. Click here for a demonstration of how the chair works.
"The chair has opened a lot of doors for me," says Rhoads. "I'm not as confined as I used to be, and I've gained back a lot of my confidence."
Rhoads says the feature he likes best is the Balance Function which gives him the ability to raise himself up so he can look people in the eye again. "I like my life a lot better with the iBOT Mobility System than I did without it. I wish I could buy everyone with a mobility disability one. They're life changing. I'm glad to have one," he says.
To find out if the iBOT Mobility System can improve your quality of life, or help someone you know, log on to www.ibotnow.com and fill out the quick online form. A customer service representative will follow up with you in the manner you request -- by phone, email or by sending an informational packet through the U.S. Mail.
This article was commissioned by Independence Technology, L.L.C., manufacturer of the INDEPENDENCE iBOT 4000 Mobility System.
Copyright © 2008, ARAnet, Inc.
