Atlanta, GA,
15
October
2014
|
09:00 AM
America/New_York

Former Patient with High-Level Spinal Cord Injury Eagerly Returns to Work

Shepherd Center rehabilitation program and a supportive employer help make it possible.

After he sustained a C-5 complete spinal cord injury in a 2009 diving accident, Jason DiSanto, 40, of Atlanta, felt that no challenge loomed larger than the stigma of being in a wheelchair.

“I was worried about how I would be treated,” recalls the electrical engineer for GE Power & Water. “Sometimes people don’t know how to approach you, and you feel conspicuous.”

Fortunately for Jason, acceptance was not a problem when he returned to work at GE Power & Water. “They were excited to have me back and treated me like I had never left.”

After two months of rehabilitation at Shepherd Center, Jason spent six months acclimating to his new life and learning how to use adaptive equipment. He navigates a power wheelchair with a sip-and-puff interface and relies on an aide to take care of daily needs.

His progress was remarkable: A year after his injury, Jason returned to his same job at GE Power & Water, where he’s worked in various capacities for more than 17 years. Today, he provides technical expertise to customers who have power generation equipment.

“They really wanted me back, so it wasn’t an issue to return to work,” he says, adding that the company purchased necessary equipment, adjusted his desk to accommodate his wheelchair and cleared the way for his aide to come to work with him. “They were very receptive to all the changes and adaptations that needed to be made and did a lot to get me back to work.”

With the help of Dragon Naturally Speaking, voice recognition software that translates words into text, and an adaptive mouse he controls by moving his head, Jason is able to use a computer. Bluetooth technology makes it possible to operate a cell phone.

Despite the challenges he has confronted since the accident, Jason has tried to maintain a positive attitude. “It’s really the way I was raised,” Jason says. “My mother and grandmother taught me to always be positive, despite whatever was happening. Even now, I have more good days than bad.”

Written by Sara Baxter
Photos by Gary Meek

About Shepherd Center

Shepherd Center provides world-class clinical care, research, and family support for people experiencing the most complex conditions, including spinal cord and brain injuries, multi-trauma, traumatic amputations, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and pain. An elite center recognized as both Spinal Cord Injury and Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems, Shepherd Center is ranked by U.S. News as one of the nation’s top hospitals for rehabilitation. Shepherd Center treats thousands of patients annually with unmatched expertise and unwavering compassion to help them begin again.