Gloria Bone Maintains Her Independence With Help From Driving Evaluation and Rehabilitation Program

Gloria Bone

For Gloria Bone, managing her multiple sclerosis (MS) means maintaining independence. With help from Shepherd Center’s Driving Evaluation and Rehabilitation Program, she’s doing just that.

Gloria was diagnosed with MS about 15 years ago, and for the last 10 years, she’s been going to Shepherd Center’s Andrew C. Carlos Multiple Sclerosis Institute. There, she’s participated in physical therapy and pain management, which have helped her maintain her active lifestyle as a retired IBM administrator and educator, mother, and dedicated volunteer in her community. 

A few years ago, however, MS symptoms began interfering with Gloria’s ability to drive. She started experiencing drop foot, characterized by difficulty lifting the front part of the foot. She made the decision to stop driving until her MS team referred her to the Driving Evaluation and Rehabilitation Program.

Gloria says that going into the program, she wasn’t expecting to get on the road right away. But with the help of Lakisha Gray, MSOT, OTR/L, CDRS, an occupational therapist and certified driving rehabilitation specialist, she was back in the driver’s seat. Gray taught Gloria how to use hand controls rather than foot pedals, allowing her to drive safely even when experiencing drop foot. She also helped Gloria manage her hesitation and anxiety toward getting back on the road.

After driving one of Shepherd Center’s adaptive vans, Gloria moved on to driving her own vehicle using hand controls. She says Gray met her at her car dealership the day they installed the controls to do a test drive, followed by a couple of additional practice sessions.

“[The support] matters a lot for a person like me, coming in being an older woman who’s used to doing what she pretty much wants to do,” she says. “Lakisha is so soft-spoken and patient and encouraging ... I think that’s part of her DNA.”

It’s been a little over two years since Gloria finished training in the program, and her ability to drive has made a world of difference. She credits Gray, as well as her family’s support, for giving her freedom back. 

“[Driving rehabilitation] has been the most beneficial to me. With the progression of the disease, and the inability to be as mobile as I want to be, [driver training] has provided me with the will and desire to continue to do things — it gives me joy to know this is one thing that hasn’t been taken,” she says.

Written by Erin Kenney