Archive for November, 2011

Win a Copy of Mark McEwen’s Book About his Stroke

Monday, November 28th, 2011

Often it’s encouraging to read positive stories about people who are going through
what you’re going through. One of the best books written by a stroke survivor
is Mark McEwen’s After the Stroke, my Journey Back to Life. You may
remember Mark, he was the weatherman and a newscaster on the CBS Morning Show
for 6 years. After he left CBS, he become the nighttime TV news anchor at a TV
station in Orlando, Florida. One day, while visiting family in Maryland, Mark
fell sick and was told by a doctor he had the flu. He got on the plane to fly
home, and suffered a stroke in flight.

The book details Mark’s recovery journey, from his early days in the hospital to
his trip to China to try acupuncture. I especially like that he talks very
personally about his stroke, including the reactions of his young children, and
his first attempts to reconnect sexually with his wife. Mark’s journey was
typical – lots of  ups and downs, but he describes it with humor and
sincerity.

Encore Path would like to send a copy of his book to a stroke survivor who wants to
read an uplifting story. To enter our drawing, just fill out our “contact us”
form and include your name and address, and put the word ‘book’ in the comments
section. http://www.tailwindtherapy.com/order-tailwind/index.php
Read more about Mark here: http://www.markmcewen.com/

Tailwind and Veterans

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

Last Friday, 11/11/11, I had the privilege of joining some Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom veterans on Radio Station KOA850 in Denver, Colorado, to talk about health care issues affecting veterans. The very active veteran’s groups in Colorado (including VFW Post #1 – the very first VFW post in the nation!) are doing great things to advance veteran’s healthcare causes.

One new group is called Operation TBI Freedom, which is a comprehensive case management program to help veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and their families wade through the healthcare system to get the treatement and services they need. You can find them at www.OperationTBIFreedom.org. The other program is a terrific suicide prevention program for veterans – you can find out more about that at www.vfwpost1.org.

I was able to talk about how the Tailwind is helping veterans with TBI at various military and civilian hospitals around the country. In addition, I announced a new program for veterans that will be available around the first of the new year, in which veterans who need the Tailwind for arm rehabilitation can order one FOR FREE at their local veteran’s hospital. More to come on that….

In all, I was honored and thrilled to be included in this on-air discussion of this important issue. Thanks to KOA850 for inviting me!

100 Years of Chevrolet – Can Tailwind last that long?

Thursday, November 3rd, 2011

Chevrolet was founded 100 years ago today. I  grew up not far from Detroit. My parents and grandparents retired from General Motors. We always drove a Chevrolet, but later in my life my grandfather bought a Buick. My family was shocked when I bought a Toyota, but I sold in in 2007 and used the money to start this business.

Longevity in business is an anomaly.  Even longevity in a product line is rare – but is it valued? Do people still think of Chevrolet today like they did in 1911? When we were designing the Tailwind, we wanted to build something sturdy and long-lasting. It takes a long time to recover from a stroke, sometimes months, sometimes years. We knew that people might use the Tailwind for an extended period of time, so we used steel rods and solid steel bearings to make sure it wouldn’t wear out.

I don’t know if the company or the device will be here in a hundred years, but we plan to make sure the Tailwind will last for as long as a stroke survivor wants to use it. I am proud of the Tailwind, of its design and construction. I think my grandparents would be proud.