Michigan’s own Jeff Champine, friend and supporter of Kali’s Cure, will be golfing in the upcoming Tournament of Champions at Naples National in March.  To show his support and help spread the word, the Rochester native amateur golfer will be wearing Kali’s Cure gear in the tournament!  Jeff and wife, Amy Champine, are the parents of two and have been dedicated supporters of Kali’s Cure since the organization was founded in 2008.  Jeff has participated in every Kali’s Cure golf outing and his team always finds their way to the top of the pack!  Good luck to Jeff and thanks for showing your support…now it’s our turn to do the same!

Kali’s Cure is happy to support the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan Fund (RIM) again this winter!  We most recently donated to RIM in conjunction with our donation to the new wound clinic in Alma, MI (MidMichigan-Gratiot Wound Center) which celebrated its grand opening in January.  Along with our initial donation of $15,000, we are glad to donate an additional $50,000 which we will be presenting at their annual Hearts of Champions Gala at the Fox Theatre on Thursday, March 8th.  The gala supports research and community based programs to help individuals rebuild their lives after a devastating illness or injury.

Happy New Year from Kali’s Cure!

We are excited to ring in 2012 with four donations to help support spinal cord recovery.  First, we are excited to make our first “local” donation to the new Wound Treatment Center at MidMichigan Medical Center-Gratiot which will be overseen by Sr. Mary Rebecca Koterba, MD.  This $15,000 donation along with $4,690 from our community matching campaign will help the center provide treatment and therapy to all patients suffering from wounds related to paralysis and many other ailments including diabetes and surgical wounds.  Due to the inability to reposition, those suffering from paralysis can develop pressure ulcers which can lead to serious complications and infections.  If untreated, they can even result in death.  Many individuals with paralysis and even diabetes, are unable to feel the wounds which can cause further tissue damage without their knowledge.  Other patients who retain the ability to feel often suffer extreme pain that can lead to serious complications.

The new wound center offers state of the art treatment including two hyperbaric oxygen chambers.  We are excited to introduce electrical stimulation as a treatment for chronic woulds to the center.  Dr. John McDonald from Kennedy-Krieger’s International Center for SCI Recovery is one of the leading doctors in the spinal cord community and the pioneer of electrical stimulation therapy.  Dr. McDonald, along with therapist Sandy Burns from the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan have offered to team up with the wound center to train and offer their expertise as it relates to electrical stimulation.  The stimulator increases blood flow to the wound resulting in faster healing.

In an effort to help find a way to reduce the risk of developing pressure ulcers, Dr. Koterba has been spending her own time in the process of conducting research to create alternative sleep and seat surfaces to alleviate pressure points.  We are happy to assist her in this endeavor with a donation of an additional $15,000.

To facilitate collaboration, we are also happy to continue our support of Kennedy-Krieger’s International Center for SCI Recovery with a donation of $15,000 for their continued research of electrical stimulation and wound treatment.

Finally, for their assistance with the wound center as well as their continued efforts to find a cure for paralysis, we are happy to provide the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan Fund with a donation of $50,000.  The RIM Fund will be hosting its annual Hearts of Champions Gala at the Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit on March 8th.  Kali’s Cure is happy to support this world renowned facility and honored to be recognized at the event.

Kali’s Cure is happy to start the year on such a positive note and proud to support these great programs!  We are excited for a promising and prosperous 2012 as we have many goals going forward.  We couldn’t make this happen without your help and support!  To continue our fight for a cure, we hope you will continue to support Kali’s Cure and help us spread the word!

Honoring Our Heroes–There’s no better time than the Holidays to thank all those who devote their lives to keeping us safe and secure.  Unfortunately, in doing so, many members of our Armed Services have been severely injured and even paralyzed.  As promised, a portion of the proceeds from our 2010 golf outing have been donated to support our paralyzed soldiers.  Kali’s Cure decided to keep the donation close to home and contributed to Life Beyond Barriers (LBB)—a new non-profit organization that was created to help our wounded soldiers when they return from combat.  The program allows these individuals the opportunity to attend Wayne State University, participate in rehab at the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan (RIM) and use their injury and situation to create a product that will better the lives of all those living with similar afflictions.  In donating to LBB, we are helping to ensure that the program continues and offers paralyzed troops the opportunity to be involved while also helping RIM provide rehabilitation to LBB and others living with paralysis.

Continued Giving–Fortunately, we have been able to continue our support of Dr. Raymond Onders’ Diaphragmatic Pacing Program (DPP) and University Hospitals in Cleveland. Our first donation helped the program expand to include children. Now, $200,000 later, the program has continued to grow, allowing children and adults worldwide to benefit from this life saving device. Dr. Onders has been busy traveling the world, implanting patients from the Middle East to Switzerland, Spain to Iceland and beyond. During his travels, both domestic and abroad, he is teaching other surgeons so that more patients may benefit from this life changing operation. There have been countless remarkable stories of the various patients who have been implanted…patients who want to continue their service to our country, others who have been able to return home to live with their loved ones, sports enthusiasts who can even sky dive and, miraculously, patients who have weaned themselves from the device altogether and are now breathing on their own. Our most recent donation will help the program continue to grow as well as provide excellent support for those already implanted. DPP is something that we are proud to support and look forward to helping in the future as Dr. Onders continues his amazing work and additional research.

There are so many great ways that YOU can make a difference and be part of the CURE!  Although our annual golf outing takes up a good chunk of the summer and it often appears that it’s the only activity going on, we are happy to announce that other fundraisers have also been taking place or are in the works!

Wrapping up the month of July, Tri for Kali’s Cure took place in Lexington, Michigan.  23 athletes participated in the Lexington Triathlon to support Kali’s Cure.  The group completed a 500 meter swim, 11 mike bike ride, and 5K run.  After a grueling morning, the team enjoyed the remainder of the day at the annual Stoutenburg family Luau where the participants continued to support Kali’s Cure while winding down from a tiring event!!!

On October 10, 2010, Kali’s Cure will make its second appearance in the annual Chicago Marathon.  Team Crazies, consisting of Andy and Christine Schaefer, Tom Gruca and Kathy Wheeler, will complete the 26.2 mile run through the streets of Chicago.  The group has been training for months and, despite many sore muscles and long, tiring runs, they are geared up and ready to run for the CURE!  Follow their progress throughout the marathon here.

This fall, K-Mart of Alma will host a Safety Day on October 23rd.  They have already been putting time and effort into this event by kicking off the fundraising with a car wash and spreading the word through town.  The event will conclude on Saturday the 23rd at the Alma K-mart store where there will be activities for kids of all ages.  Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in everything from facepainting and balloon pops to touring firetrucks and talking with local police officers.  A special thanks to the Alma K-Mart store for hosting and putting on the event.  All proceeds from this event will benefit Kali’s Cure .

Now that school is back in session, there are numerous ways for students of all ages to participate in their own fundraising efforts or simply undertaking projects to spread the word about Kali’s Cure and spinal cord research.  If you are interested in more information, please contact kali@kaliscure.org.

As always, thanks to all those who have dedicated so much to Kali’s Cure.  The foundation would not be a success without your support.