Janne Kouri recounts his experience in the hospital and shared an upsetting incidence in which his doctor told him that there was no hope that he would recover. He was told to "get used to playing board games" for the rest of his life. Kouri discussed his determination to be happy so that his loved ones would be happy as well. Each day, he made the decision to find the happiness in something he did, and some days, this happiness could only come from something as small as a smile. He knew one thing about his life after his spinal cord injury, and that was that he wanted to be happy.
Shortly after his injury, it came time to find a rehabilitation facility to cater to his needs. Kouri's girlfriend began flying to different states to visit facilities, but unfortunately, most of these facilities told her that there was no hope for him. Finally, she visited Dr. Susan Harkema at the Frazier Rehabilitation Center in Lousiville, Kentucky. Dr. Harkema founded a training program for people with spinal cord injuries called Locomotor Training and approved Kouri for the treatment. Locomotor Training involves a patient weight-bearing and walking on a treadmill in a harness. Therapists simulate human ambulation by moving his arms and legs while a client is on a treadmill. The focus of this intervention is to regain function. Janne Kouri mentioned how fortunate he was to have the financial means to leave California with his girlfriend and leave behind their family, house, and jobs. Most people would not have the same opportunities that he had. He began to notice that he was the only patient on his floor at the facility that received the Locomotor Training and learned that most people could not participate due to a lack of insurance coverage or room in the schedule. He found this very disheartening as he claimed this treatment saved his life.
About a month before he was discharged from the rehab facility, Kouri was able to wiggle his toes again. He claims that this was the best moment of his entire life because it proved that there was hope for him. Following his discharge, Kouri remained in Kentucky for about 6 months and spent eight hours a day in therapy. Prior to his move back to California, Kouri and his girlfriend researched the next steps for his recovery when he returned home. They quickly found that his options were minimal to say the least. This sparked an idea for him to make a difference in the lives of spinal cord injury survivors.
Janne Kouri wanted to take the therapy services he received and allow the community to have access to the same services. To do this, he founded Next Step Fitness, a gym dedicated to promoting physical activity and wellness in people with neurological conditions. When Next Steps Fitness was founded in June of 2008, it was the only fitness studio in Los Angeles that catered to the needs of individuals with spinal cord injuries and other neurological conditions. His vision of affordable fitness for people with these conditions came into fruition. Now, his gyms are in several cities in the United States and internationally.
Finally, Janne Kouri talked about how his rehabilitation has impacted his functional abilities. Kouri was able to marry his girlfriend. Later he surfed, walked with a walker, and even gave his wife a belated wedding dance. From listening to his account, I learned how impactful therapy can be on people who may feel hopeless. I saw the importance of instilling hope in clients even if their cases seem difficult. Many of the medical professionals that Kouri sought out told him that he had no hope, and this could have easily discouraged him from even trying. As a healthcare professional, I will make it my duty to provide each client with hope. Encouraging clients and working hard to lift their spirits can have such a huge impact on their therapy. I learned that even the most seemingly impossible cases can have happy endings. Kouri talked about friends that he had met through Next Step and the amazing obstacles that they have overcome and the happy lives they live today. It taught me just how important therapy is for people with a spinal cord injury and how beautiful the recovery process can be.
I chose this TedTalk because I am very interested in spinal cord injuries. I wanted to further my knowledge on spinal cord injuries and the outcomes of clients with these injuries. It was fascinating to learn how much progress is able to be made because most people assume that function is lost forever in these cases. Also, I was shocked to learn how Janne Kouri became paralyzed because I love diving into wave at the beach and never considered the danger that could bring. His story opened my eyes to the importance of therapy and long-term exercise in people with spinal cord injuries. As a future practitioner, I want to find resources such as Next Step Fitness for clients with spinal cord injuries and share this story with them to give them hope.
For those of you who are interested in learning more, I am providing two links: one for the TedTalk and one for Next Steps Fitness.
Next Step Fitness:https://www.nextstepfitness.org/
TEDx Talks. (2013, December 24). Life after paralyzation: Janne Kouri at TEDxVeniceBeach [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCxCFjmruSg
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