South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association A Chapter of United Spinal Association

Fall 2016Issue 12

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He probably never would have picked up a paintbrush had it not been for his spinal cord injury. Before Blakely Martin sustained a C5 injury in his family swimming pool when he was 17, he “had never slowed down enough to try painting.”

What began as a way to combat boredom turned into a passion that flourished because of his disability. Martin’s creations ranges from silhouettes of majestic animals in the wild to serene gardens to an assortment of what he calls creepy villains.

It all happens in a creative haven tucked away behind his home in Clinton. Martin’s studio sits at the end of a quaint stone pathway. Inside the tools of his trade fill every available work surface in an organized clutter. Finished paintings and works in progress are propped up on easels around the room. A wide-eyed Yorkie peeks out from a canvas, awaiting completion on special order for a customer. Above his desk is a photo of the little dog, which he has reproduced with striking realism.

The images that Martin captures in paint are even more impressive when considering they are made with a brush in his mouth. While he initially tried

various pieces of adaptive equipment to secure his paintbrushes, “my arms and hands weren’t steady enough and fatigued quickly. I just found it easier to hold them in my mouth.” Even though he eventually had surgery to restore some wrist function, he stayed with what worked for him. “It was slow at first, trying to find the best way to do things, but I found I could master a lot more finesse with my mouth.”

Martin also found a rather novel solution to another issue presented by his quadriplegia. Because he can’t reach the top of larger canvases, he has them secured to a special easel that swivels all the way around. With the easel rotated, he paints upside down as he adds rippling blue waters, stately mountain ranges, and towering tree tops.

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Creating a Colorful Life After Injury

He paints upside down as he adds rippling blue waters, stately mountain

ranges, and towering tree tops.

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His paintings are a celebration of color, from the subtle pastels in a European landscape to an explosion of bright flowers by a wrought iron gate. Yet the shades he so masterfully combines can only be appreciated by the people who view them. Martin himself is color-blind, a fact that he addresses with surprisingly nonchalance.

“I know what the world is supposed to look like, and that’s how I paint it,” he says. The issue, Martin explains, lies in distinguishing between subtleties in colors. “Take green for example. If it’s too light, I confuse it with yellow. If it’s too dark, it looks like red. I can only see certain shades of green truly as green.” Always keeping his paint lined up in the same order allows him to choose the best hue, although at times he will ask for a second opinion.

Martin’s medium of choice is oil paint, which he prefers because, “it’s more forgiving when you make mistakes.” While it may only take him 40 minutes to complete one project, he may spend a period of days on another. Most finished pieces don’t stay around very long. Some on are on display at local art galleries.

Others sell, primarily through word of mouth, to businesses and individual buyers.

While he enjoys brisk sales of his work, Martin still remembers how it felt the very first time a painting sold. Years ago he donated a mountain scene, with a river running through a valley, to a local fundraiser. “There were several bidders and it was such a thrill that people actually wanted it and bid on it,” he said.

A number of Martin’s paintings are currently at the South Carolina Department of Disabilities and Special Needs in Columbia, which is showcasing the work of artists with disabilities at their state office. His work can be viewed online at Facebook.com/Blakely.Martin.7 and he can be reached at hickory606@hotmail.com.

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“I know what the world is supposed to look like, and that’s how I paint it,”

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There’s nothing funny about a urinary tract infection.

Yet a new video on UTI prevention after spinal

cord injury resembles a TV sitcom, complete with

a laugh track.

Inappropriate? Insensitive? Ineffective? Researcher

Susan Newman doesn’t think so. Dr. Newman,

a certified rehabilitation registered nurse, is an

Associate Professor in the College of Nursing at

the Medical University of South Carolina and a

board member of the South Carolina Spinal Cord

Injury Association. The video is one of two that

were recently produced through a study funded

by the South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Research

Fund. “It’s a serious topic and we wanted to take

potentially pretty dry information and present it in a

way that’s engaging. Could it be done in a way that’s

entertaining?” she said.

The second video starts off in black and white with

a narrator speaking inside of an old-fashioned

TV screen. The scene then shifts to two men with

spinal cord injuries working under the hood of

a sleek Mustang. As their conversation turns to

pressure ulcers, humor is also incorporated in

unexpected ways.

The videos were produced through a collaboration

between the South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury

Association and the PHOENIX program. PHOENIX

is an acronym for Peer-supported Health Outreach,

Education and Information eXchange, which

represents Dr. Newman’s research focus for the past

Humor and Health Education? Really?six years. “The core of PHOENIX is reaching out and

providing people with spinal cord injuries with health

education and community resources through peer

navigators,” she explained.

In prior studies Dr. Newman paired up men and

women with spinal cord injury with trained peer

navigators (individuals successfully living with spinal

cord injury). Navigators met one-on-one in people’s

homes to address common secondary conditions and

factors that kept them from being more engaged in

life post-injury. “Driving to people’s houses was very

time-consuming and it limited our reach,” Newman

said. So she applied for and received a $28,000

grant to explore an online and telehealth approach

to peer navigation. This means that instead of

using educational materials in a three-ring binder,

all content will be provided through an iPad. In

addition to key points on UTIs and pressure sores

included in the videos, more detailed information

will be available online, separated into manageable

segments. Visits with navigators will be conducted

through video chat.

The focus of her current grant is evaluating

participants’ ability to access the videos and written

materials and communicate with the peer navigators

on the iPad. “We want to know what kind of

assistance they would need in order to be able to use

the iPad on their own,” Newman said. She will also

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John Bryant reacts to photos of worsening pressure ulcers in the video on skin care.

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South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury AssociationA Chapter of United Spinal Association 136 Stonemark Lane, Suite 100 Columbia, S.C. 29210 803-252-2198 info@scspinalcord.org www.scspinalcord.org

PRSRT. STD.US POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 706COLUMBIA, SC

Facebook.com/scscia @SCSpinalCord

be soliciting feedback on the videos. This information-

gathering process will help her determine what needs

to be fine-tuned for her ongoing research.

Dr. Newman is currently seeking funding to support

her next step: a telehealth peer navigation program

delivered through the iPads. “I’d like to see that the

PHOENIX program has an impact: that quality of life

improves, secondary conditions are reduced, and

people get out more in the community.” She’s excited

about the prospect of producing more videos

on a range of secondary conditions. “Everyone had

a sense of ownership from the very beginning,” she

said of a committee of volunteers that wrote the

UTI and pressure sore scripts. A couple of the

committee members were also recruited as actors,

with Sherwood Toatley and John Bryant taking on

the two on-screen roles.

Marka Danielle served as narrator. A former

professional ballerina before two spinal cord

injuries, Danielle has a special affinity for the

performing arts. “I love the theatre and

I love to teach. To put those together with the

videos was the perfect scenario for me. The

best way I can help others is through sharing

what I’ve learned living in a chair.”

Sherwood Toatley (left) and John Bryant cut up in the video on urinary tract infections.

They punched, grabbed, and forcefully yelled, “No”

“Now I know there are things I can do to protect myself.” - Gale Hutchins

“My biggest concern was

being knocked down and

kicked. I was surprised

how effective a simple

move can be to disable an

assailant.” - Oliver Yu

“I was worried about the

force of an attacker knocking

me over, putting me out of

control. Learning to grab

hold and pull down them

down with me puts them out

of control too. We are both

even then.” - Alicia Reagan

Self-Defense Class

They punched, grabbed, and forcefully yelled, “No!” Some

grappled with would-be assailants lying down while others actually flipped out of their wheelchairs

in a mock attack.

It was all a part of a self-defense class for individuals with

disabilities held in Columbia on September 24. Captain Teena

Gooding, Sergeant Jessica Velders and Master Patrolman Samantha Weinschreider with University of South Carolina Law Enforcement and Safety

conducted the three-hour class.

“

”

Captain Teena Gooding shows Oliver Yu a method of striking back against an assailant, should he end up on the ground in an attack.

Sergeant Jessica Velders (top) and Captain Teena Gooding (bottom) demonstrate a technique for the class members to try out.

The three instructors prepare Alicia Reagan to tip backwards out of her chair to practice how to manage a fall.

Scott Adams talks about what he’s learned while Master Patrolman Samantha Weinschreider looks on.

Equipment Loans

Ever been invited to someone’s home that isn’t accessible? Don’t own your own portable ramp?

No problem.

The association has four portable ramps that can be borrowed for free. Available in four-foot

and six-foot lengths, the metal ramps fold up for easy transport. They can also be loaned out for up to a month to individuals who are in the

process of having a permanent ramp built.

The ramps are part of the association’s equipment loan program. Other equipment

includes a USB charger that plugs into a power chair, low impact pushrims, and a hands-

free dialing and texting kit. The loan process has been streamlined into one easy online form on the association’s website. Simply

type “Equipment Loan” into the search box at scspinalcord.org. Smaller items can be mailed, with larger items requiring pickup and return at

the association office in Columbia.

Voting Videos

In a year dominated by coverage of the presidential election, three videos have been produced on voting

rights of individuals with disabilities in South Carolina. Each video addresses a different aspect of voting, including how to register, the different options for

casting a ballot, and accessibility challenges that may be encountered at polling places. Board member Alicia

Reagan is featured in the video on accessibility.

The videos were produced by the South Carolina Disability Voting Coalition, a group dedicated to

increasing the numbers of people with disabilities who vote through voter education and improved access to the voting process. The coalition is comprised of

more than 40 nonprofit and state agencies, including the South Carolina Spinal Cord Injury Association.

Links to the videos can be found on the voting link at scspinalcord.org.

TSA Cares

Concerned about TSA screening at the airport? The Transportation Security Administration offers TSA Cares, a helpline designed to assist travelers with disabilities and medical conditions. Prior to

traveling, passengers can call (855) 787 -2227 to ask questions about screening policies and procedures and what to expect at the security checkpoint.

A traveler is advised to call 72 hours ahead to make arrangements for special assistance during security screening. A Passenger Support Specialist can be assigned to the individual and accompany him or her through the entire process at the airport.

The TSA Cares helpline operates from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern Standard Time Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends and holidays. Helpline staff can also be reached by

email at TSAContactCenter@dhs.gov.

New Breeze Group

A new Breeze peer group is on the horizon for the Florence area. The association is working with a volunteer leader, who is excited about getting things going for people with spinal cord injuries in Florence and the

surrounding counties.

Plans are being made for a location, time, and topics for the first few meetings. The group will start up after the first of the New Year. Interested in attending?

Contact our office at (803) 252-2198.