Selma Hafizbegovic
New York Spinal Cord Injury Fund
New York, NY
Pictures of Selma and her recovery progress have been loaded into the
"Photos" section above
Selma’s Timeline
As many of you know, or could understand, this is an extremely private and difficult time for Selma. Not one you want to share with the world. But Selma realizes the importance of showing how the funds raised have been used and wants to share with you the details of her story since that life-altering day in Denver last June.
Take a look- It’s unreal in terms of the progress she has made, thanks to her strong will, spirit and to all of you who have financially supported her.
June 17, 2010
· Selma’s accident occurred in the Rocky Mountains at Colorado’s Eldorado Canyon State Park, as another climber dislodged a man-sized boulder, which triggered a landslide and subsequently swept her down a ravine.
· She was quickly evacuated and flown to a Denver hospital where she had two comprehensive back surgeries in addition to injuries that include a broken hip, shoulder blade and ribs, broken knee, foot, punctured lung, and traumatic brain injury.
· Selma went through a total of six surgeries between June and August of 2010 and was diagnosed as a “complete” injury, meaning no sensation or motor ability in her lower body.
June-September 2010
· Selma then spent four months at Craig Hospital in Denver, where most of the time was spent entirely on surgeries and health conditions including mending the broken spine/metal, rods and screws, decompressing the spinal cord, reconstructing the broken foot to prevent gangrene. Improving overall condition (anemia, etc.). The brain injury dissolved by itself the shoulder, hip, knee, ribs healed without medical intervention.
· Initially Selma was not able to sit up in a wheelchair or move in or out of one without help. She could only do this with a man-operated hanging platform to lift her up, and in and out of the chair. She could not bathe or dress herself, nor attend rehab due to the severity of the injuries.
· Towards the end of her stay, she could sit in the wheelchair and operate it by herself (this was manual) and could transfer in and out of chair/bed.
· At this time the doctors said she had a minimal chance of ever walking again (0-5% chance of recovery) as the injury was severe and at the lower level of the spinal cord.
September 2010
· Selma was flown to Kessler Rehabilitation Center in New Jersey. This was a trying time for Selma as she began to move away from medically-focused care, to rehabilitation.
· During her short stay at Kessler, she began to transfer herself from the bed to a wheelchair, sit up in a wheelchair, and pull herself up in a walker while rounding a corner in the therapy room- Amazing progress that nobody expected from her.
· She began to feel goose bumps in her thighs. Her legs began to sweat.
· Kessler was focused on teaching Selma how to adjust to life in a wheelchair. But Selma was focused on walking.
· While standing up, with her legs wrapped in an improvised type of brace that kept the legs stiff and prevented collapsing, she began to feel the weight on her knees first, and soon after on her feet. This was an extremely important development for her.
· While at Kessler, Selma began to meet with people who could help her in the area of research, and met with the CEO of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. This particular meeting was instrumental in terms of making the right connections for Selma and informing her about the best options which she should consider in terms of her next move from Kessler.
November 2010
· Selma transferred to Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD, for more advanced therapy. This was intense, advanced therapy for Selma. At first, the doctors were not sure she could handle it, but they soon got a taste of her determination. Her muscles begin to react to electrical stimulation. Her insurance stopped paying for therapy. Going forward, it is 100% self-funded (through donations and personal savings).
December 27-January 21st
· Selma came back to her NYC apartment in between therapy. This was an emotional time for her as she came back to her apartment for the first time since her accident. Thanks to her generous supporters, it had been redesigned and renovated to accommodate a wheelchair .
January 2011
· Selma transferred to Shepherd Center in Nashville. This facility was not accommodating to her medical needs (there was no major hospital nearby) so they transferred her to their main center in Atlanta.
· While there, she amazed the staff by pulling herself and crawling.
February-present
· Selma transferred to Shepherd Center Atlanta’s Beyond Therapy Program.
· Over the last 8 months, she has made incredible progress, none of which is expected after a lower-level injury, including:
· Regained feeling in feet
· Regained some bodily functions
· Walking with assistance (walker, electrodes, and knee support)
· Operating the stationary bicycle (with some assistance from electrodes)
· Standing on her own (using therapy equipment)
Selma has chosen to fundraise with HelpHopeLive (formely NTAF) - because HelpHopeLive provides both tax-deductibility and fiscal accountability to contributors. Whatever you can give will help - it all adds up! Contributors can be sure that funds contributed will be used only to pay or reimburse medically-related expenses. To make a contribution to this fundraising campaign:
Make checks payable to:
HelpHOPELive
Note in memo section:
In Honor of Selma Hafizbegovic
Mail to:
HelpHOPELive
150 N. Radnor Chester Road, Suite F-120
Radnor, PA 19087
For secure credit card donations:
Call 800-642-8399 or click the "DONATE NOW" button.
If your company has a matching gifts program, Selma will greatly benefit from your employer's support. Please inquire with your employer what documentation is required. For more information, please contact HelpHOPELive at 800-642-8399.
Many thanks for your support!
