communicATor

Jacob is a 28-year-old young man with cerebral palsy who has been receiving services at our specialty clinic for his complex wheelchair needs since he was 12 years old. Jacob has limited control of his movements, and a comfortable wheelchair that supports his complex body in good alignment is critical to his overall health and quality of life. This can be challenging because Jacob presents with severe collapsing scoliosis, abnormal muscle tone, and dystonic movement patterns while sitting in his wheelchair. Due to these complex problems, it has sometimes been challenging to meet our goal of comfort and maximum skeletal alignment in his wheelchair as his body has grown and changed. 


Our expert clinicians keep up with emerging technologies, and Kelly Waugh, PT – Jacob's clinician at CIDE – introduced him to a new product from New Zealand in 2018 that provided an alternative to the traditional custom molded back supports that he had used for many years (which he found uncomfortable). Recently, Sofia Bello, PT, clinical consultant for Medifab, the New Zealand company whose product Jacob was using, was visiting our clinic, and Ms. Waugh arranged for her to meet Jacob. Over two sessions, Ms. Bello assisted Ms. Waugh in problem-solving to optimize adjustments to Jacob's seating, which improved his postural alignment. She also provided Jacob with a new custom seating cushion fitted to his unique body needs for an extended trial. Jacob and his family are incredibly grateful for the opportunities that the CIDE clinic has provided for him to continuously find ways to improve his wheelchair sitting posture, comfort, and function

Caption: CIDE clinic superstar Jacob is helped by his clinician, Kelly Waugh, PT, to navigate his new wheelchair. Now, he can sit and move around in his wheelchair with better posture and be comfortable.