The HEAL Team helps to connect the dots

Last month, I had the opportunity to go bedside to serve a family as part of blink of an eye’s HEAL Team.  I met with Robert, who was severely injured with a spinal cord injury C3. Robert is currently unhoused, which creates an additional layer of complexity in an already complex situation. Sitting with Robert and bringing the Hope, Empathy, Advocacy and Logistical tips that are the hallmark of the HEAL Team, I reflected on the importance of the blink of an eye mission.  Patients and families are overwhelmed with a spinal cord injury. Most medical staff in the U.S. are not trained in SCI and underprepared to respond to the complex injury and rarely trained in trauma-informed responses.

Each of our HEAL Team members has lived SCI experience.  That empathy and understanding is instrumental in helping people like Robert navigate the medical processes and daunting challenges.  It made my day when he shared his thoughts (quoted above) with me.

More people in our community are getting to know about the work of blink of an eye and I am so grateful.  It means we can help more people like Robert.  This month, I learned that the Weinberg Foundation has granted blink of an eye $50,000 in unrestricted funds for this fall!  That is an incredible gift that will help us expand our HEAL Team and SCI Family Navigator Teams and train them more fully.

Eighty percent of SCIs happen to vibrant, active, healthy people recreating, driving or doing their usual activities. SCI is one of the most complicated and life altering medical injuries. There are almost 18,000 Spinal Cord Injuries every year in the United States. While there are approximately 6,090 hospitals in the U.S., less than half of 1% have SCI expertise. BLINK provides vital resources to the SCI community, addressing the complex challenges. BLINK bridges the gap in SCI support and expertise, empowering families and medical professionals alike.   Please consider supporting blink of an eye in our work.