Hope
Hope releases unprecedented strength. How do you learn to trust your own inner strength?
The story of Daniel Joggi
“I’ve had a spinal cord injury since 1977 following a supposedly minor fall when skiing. The diagnosis was a fracture of the sixth and seventh cervical vertebrae. For me, this meant tetraplegia with paralysis and a loss of sensation in all four limbs. I was 28 years old. At the time, my wife Françoise and I were parents to our four-year-old daughter and were expecting another child. I was given a life expectancy of fourteen years...
During nine months of rehabilitation, I used an iron will to fight my way back to a certain degree of independence. It goes without saying that during this time I asked myself: “Is it even worth the effort?” My answer was an unconditional “yes”.”
“At that moment I knew: even if it's difficult, I want to live.”
Daniel Joggi, tetraplegia since 1977
Recognising hope
Romina Miracco coordinated the Ethics Forum at the Swiss Paraplegic Centre. With her colleagues in the Forum, the specialised nurse looked at the issue of hope in great depth and developed numerous measures for day-to-day therapy. Romina Miracco tells us why the power of hope is important to her.
We support people with spinal cord injuries. Throughout their lives.
What does it mean to have a spinal cord injury?
Understanding spinal cord injuriesVery few people are aware of the fact that a spinal cord injury means much more than being in a wheelchair. It results in momentous turning points in the life of people with a spinal cord injury. The loss of mobility, no longer being able to walk, maybe only having limited use of your arms are one aspect of it. The loss of bladder and bowel functions, sexual functions, sensory functions and other things are another.
“Give yourself three years and then we’ll talk again...”
Dr. med. Guido A. Zäch, founder and Honor-ary President of the Swiss Paraplegic Foun-dationWhen things in life are suddenly no longer the way they were and everything is called into question, you hold onto every motivating word and every positive announcement. Pioneer and founder Dr. Guido A. Zäch has always said to people with a recent spinal cord injury: “Give yourself three years and then we’ll talk again...”
The Swiss Paraplegic Foundation is one of Switzerland’s main national welfare organisations and has been supported by the consistent solidarity of the Swiss population ever since it was founded in 1975. It is invaluable to individuals and society. and will remain this way for a long time given that, unfortunately, one fact has not changed: every other day an accident leaves somebody in Switzerland with a spinal cord injury. Nowadays, disease also increasingly results in a diagnosis of a spinal cord injury. The diagnosis of a spinal cord injury is for life. There is hope for people with a spinal cord injury as they all have access to the highly specialist services from Nottwil for the best possible reintegration into family, profession and society. These services are made possible through the benefactors and donors of the Swiss Paraplegic Foundation who deserve heartfelt thanks.
Rehabilitation starts at the accident site
SIRMEDEvery person in Switzerland should have access to the best possible care in an emergency situation. A professional rescue operation and gentle transport of the seriously injured person to the responsible centre of competence are preconditions for the best possible reintegration.
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