Serena’s Song gives you a very special experience because it is reportedly the only accessible hot-air balloon in the United States.* At any rate, it’s the only one with a gondola (basket) a wheelchair can roll right into to get ready to go for a balloon ride.
My husband Bill and I were fortunate enough to run into the owner here in Denver at a recent balloon festival. You can find Serena’s Song giving free tethered balloon rides at some hot-air balloon festival most weekends. There aren’t many ways that are better than this to put you in the mood for your next trip. If you have never traveled before, perhaps a balloon ride will give you the frame of mind to try traveling. If you believe in yourself, anything is possible.
According to www.serenasong.com, this balloon is the only wheelchair-accessible one approved by the FAA. Since 1985, Serena’s Song has carried more than 12,000 passengers with disabilities over countless miles all over the U.S.
The balloon was named for Serena Waldman, now in her twenties, who sustained complications during birth. When she was 2, her father Gary received an invitation for Serena to ride in a hot-air balloon. Until then, Serena was emotionless and unable to speak. But as the balloon soared upward, she screamed with delight. Because of her enthusiastic reaction, Gary decided to commit his life to recreating that experience for other people with disabilities. He bought a balloon and named it Serena’s Song. Since that time, Gary and his partner, Phil Gray (the balloon’s creator and its pilot), have traveled across the U.S. as they take Serena’s Song to numerous communities and balloon festivals.
A newspaper article, “Looking for a Savior,” detailed Waldman’s story and solicited a national sponsor to assist with costs not covered by local donations. Without financial aid, the balloon’s demise was imminent. ATC came to the rescue with a new van and a refurbished trailer. The company also pledged its 6,700 employees nationwide as volunteers to help disseminate information about Serena’s Song to help get people to and from the balloon when it comes to communities served by ATC, and to spearhead local sponsorship drives in those locations.
Look for Serena’s Song at a balloon festival in your part of the country. You can’t miss it!
For information about the balloon and its tour schedule, go to www.serenassong.com. Information to contact Gary is available on the site as well.
*An accessible balloon ride from Indiana was available at the Adam Matthews Balloon Festival in Louisville last fall. For more information contact www.balloonglow.com or (502) 499-2253.
SPINAL CORD CYSTS AND TETHERING
Initial results of a research study in Colorado show surgery may slow down or even stop neurological loss due to some complications following spinal cord injury (SCI).
Studies of people living with SCI show that changes to the spinal cord can continue long after the injury happens. These changes usually involve scarring of the cord, referred to as “tethering.” Depending on the tethering’s severity, this can lead to changes in the flow of Cerebrospinal Fluid. In some cases a fluid-filled space or Cyst can develop above or below the level of the original injury. These changes to the spinal cord can result in progressive loss or change in muscle or sensory function.
Symptoms from tethered and cystic spinal cords may occur anywhere from a few months to many years after the original injury. Some reports are of people up to 30 years post injury who have developed progressive myelopathies from tethering of the spinal cord or spinal cord cysts. The good news is, while tethering at the site of injury is common after SCI, only an estimated 5-10% of people will develop problems from it and subsequent cyst formation. The not-so-good news is that those who develop these problems may experience a continuing loss of function. This can include Motor and sensation, which progressively worsens over time. These individuals may notice changes in their level of function and independence. Some people report increased Spasticity or pain. In most severe cases, breathing may be affected and even the Brain stem may be involved. The usual treatment for spinal cord cysts and tethering is surgery to release the scar tissue around the cord to help restore the normal motion and elasticity. In the case of a cyst, the surgeon may place a Shunt—a thin tube that drains fluid from inside the cyst.
Investigators at the Rocky Mountain Regional Spinal Cord Injury System (RMRSIS) at Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colo., are looking at long-term outcomes of people who have surgery for tethered and cystic spinal cords. Although some studies report good results, these outcomes are typically soon after surgery. Short-term follow-up is not enough. Although progressive myelopathies respond well to surgery, sometimes the spinal tethering and cysts can reoccur.
