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Mom believes in a way back for Special Olympian son after spinal cord injury

As a physical therapist at Magee Riverfront, I am always inspired by family members who stand out as exceptional caregivers. Mothers of children with special needs or Moms of trauma survivors are truly Moms for life.  Their roles as caregivers and cheerleaders do not end when their children grow up.

Marlene McConnell is an advocate and personal coach to her son, Jeffrey. Now 38 years old, Jeffrey was born with Down syndrome. "I grew up always wanting to be a Mom, never thinking that it would be hard or that I couldn't handle anything that came my way."  When Jeffrey was born, it was a rude awakening when people told Marlene all of the things that he would never be able to do, like read or ride a bike.   Marlene has been advocating and fighting for what Jeffrey needs ever since, whether it was medical or educational, believing, "Everybody deserves the best possible chance in life." She is proud to say that in spite of others' doubts, Jeffrey can read the newspaper from across the table, upside down, and could ride a two-wheel bike and bounce a basketball at the same time. He also learned how to skateboard.

Jeffrey, a lover of all things sports, never let anything stop him from being competitive.

Jeffrey competed in the Special Olympics since the age of 8, participating in many events including track and field, power lifting, roller skating,  swimming, and table tennis.  As a teenager he was proud to complete a 25 meter butterfly event in only 18 seconds. The highlight of his Special Olympics career was when, at the age of 17, he represented Team USA New Jersey on the table tennis team in the 1995 Special Olympics World Games in New Haven, Connecticut.  There, he earned a 4th in doubles and 8th in singles in his division.

Jeffrey faced an even greater challenge in 2008. Marlene noticed Jeffrey was having difficulty walking, occasionally tripping on his right foot giving him an awkward gait. "I knew this was not normal for my son the athlete, something was wrong."  Doctors, unsure of the problem, thought that something was wrong with Jeffrey's hip.  Between 2008 and 2009, Marlene watched Jeffrey get weaker and took him to many specialists until he fell one day at work.  Jeffrey was finally diagnosed with severe spinal cord compression at the neck which was causing incomplete quadriplegia.  When he arrived at Cooper hospital for neck surgery in November 2009, Jeffrey's arms were weak and he was unable to stand.  After surgery Marlene was offered little hope for recovery and very limited in-patient therapy options.  She decided instead to take Jeffrey home.

Marlene reflects that Jeffrey's life has had its share of challenges, but his spinal cord injury has been the hardest medical difficulty they have faced together. "We've both had to learn to adjust to our new normal.  He is sometimes better at accepting his limitations than I am.  There isn't anything easy about rehabbing after spinal cord injury. For both of us, words like 'tiring, frustrating, challenging and burnout' come to mind."

For an entire year after his spinal cord injury, Jeffrey was homebound, unable to transfer or sit up very well. He left the house only for medical appointments when his friend Joe could come over to help Marlene transfer him into the car.  He could not sit up on his own, had limited use of his arms and could not stand.  Jeffrey's seven-year recovery journey began with one year of home care services which included physical and occupational therapy twice a week. Marlene also exercised with him every day.  He then spent more than five months in a local south jersey outpatient therapy facility and then was told that nothing else could be done.

But Marlene did not listen. Once again, Jeffrey beat the odds, with a little help from Mom.

Through Marlene's connections as a school board member for Gloucester County Special Services School District and the Vocational School District of Gloucester County, a friend helped get Jeffrey a referral to Magee Riverfront for outpatient physical and occupational therapy. Jeffrey participated in two separate outpatient therapy rounds at the Riverfront between 2011 and 2013.  He has been a Magee Riverfront Wellness Center member since 2013, which allows him to utilize accessible gym equipment with Mom's help.

"Magee has been the best. They have helped me get Jeffrey to another level".  When he started at Magee, he was able to stand with help and take only a few steps. Although he still uses his wheelchair to get around for a good bit of his day, Jeffrey is now walking 250 feet with a posterior walker.

This has not been without the help and dedication of Marlene, who has coached him every step of the way and still allowed Jeffrey to live as an athlete.  Seven years later, Marlene still helps Jeffrey exercise daily- two days a week in Magee Riverfront's wellness gym, and the remaining days at home.  When told most average people do not exercise this much, Marlene replies, "I would not work myself this hard." At the wellness center, she uses an overhead track to support Jeffrey so that he can take steps without the walker, helps him onto the rowing machine, and spots him while he walks on the treadmill, being a cheerleader the whole way.  You won't catch her without her timer in hand, encouraging him to walk faster or further than the day before.

You might even mistake her for a physical therapist..Before Jeffrey's neck surgery, Marlene worked as a substitute teacher/teacher assistant at a school for children with cerebral palsy.  She became exposed to a lot of different rehab equipment and uses this knowledge to help her son. She and her husband have custom built exercise equipment for Jeffrey at home, like parallel bars and an Eagles green standing frame. Jeffrey's former physical therapist, Andrew Stamatelos, describes Marlene as "A truly amazing caregiver who clearly puts Jeff's needs in front of hers. Jeff is better, healthier and more independent because of it."

Even with all of the difficulties and challenges to get what Jeffrey needs, Marlene finds it rewarding. She spent five months proving to his insurance company, with the help of his physical therapist at Magee, that he needed a Motomed bike to help with his muscle tone and spasticity. And she won.  And then there was the day he walked into the neurologist's office using his walker.  The look on the doctor's face was priceless.

Jeffrey enjoys reading his magazines, loves music and watching WWE wrestling and sports in general.  His favorite teams are, of course, the Phillies and Eagles.  He has adopted the motto "Never Give Up" from his favorite WWE wrestler, John Cena.  He applies this to his life on a daily basis, especially during exercise time when he is most challenged.

When Jeffrey is asked what motivates him, he points right to his Mom. "In reality I probably bug the heck out of him, but he's too nice to say so," Marlene says. "So what motivates me?  Helping him have a good day, every day.  I am his Mom.  He is my heart."

Read more Sports Doc for Sports Medicine and Fitness.