International Center for Spinal Cord Injury

In spinal cord injury, the connection between the brain and body is lost — the brain can no longer tell the body to move, and the neural cells no longer have the patterned activity they need to grow and differentiate. Activity Based Restorative Therapies (ABRT), under the direction of physicians and therapists, help patients with spinal cord injuries perform activities that prompt remaining cells to “remember” how to move while encouraging the growth of new nervous system cells.

Our program is built on the philosophy that with the right combination of therapies, recovery is always possible -- even many months or years after an injury. Our therapy programs follow techniques that have shown great promise in helping individuals with chronic spinal cord injuries recover sensation, movement, and independence, as well as achieve improved health and quality of life. While our therapists work with patients to help them reach their potential for recovery, our scientists work to find a cure.

Research. Restoration. Recovery.

Founded in 2005 by neurologist Dr. John McDonald, one of the world’s foremost experts on the treatment of paralysis, the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury (ICSCI) represents something remarkable in the field of paralysis treatment: hope.

On High Schools: Milton Kent / Sun Columnist

Full article as published in the Baltimore Sun on 9/25/05

Loyola High's Brooks makes progress one year after suffering a spinal cord injury

For some, purging the memory of something as traumatic as being paralyzed making a tackle might be first on a to-do list, but every detail of that warm fall day is burnished on Brooks' mind.

Patrick Rummerfield lives a life that can only be deemed miraculous. A 1974 car accident left Pat with little hope of survival. Today, this triathlete, race car driver and motivational speaker spends each day ensuring that he makes the most of his body’s renewed power.

In 1986, after an evening of celebrating her birthday at a nightclub with friends, Santa Marie Wallace was hit by a drunk driver while walking across the street. This devastating, life-altering accident left her a quadriplegic.