Empowering Spinal Cord Injured Persons
“Some of us will never walk again. But that’s okay, because our goal is something more than walking… It’s living, forgiving, and loving more deeply than we ever did before.”
-Jon Sigworth
ESCIP believes that spinal cord patients are uniquely equipped to initiate positive social change as they learn to overcome the effects of sudden devastating injury. Therefore, in partnership with IHF, Empowering Spinal Cord Injured Persons (ESCIP) works with the staff of the Indian Spinal Injuries Center in Delhi to provide ongoing exercise, therapy and counseling of spinal cord injured patients once they’ve returned home. While the government may supply initial surgery and physical therapy, without our support, most patients remain a crippling drain to their families, shunned by society. Now they are learning to “see their disability as their greatest strength,” and discover new ways to contribute to their family and to society.
Jonathan Sigworth, the founder of ESCIP, fell off a cliff/suffered a spinal cord injury at age 19 while studying in northern India four years ago. The injury left him a quadriplegic, paralyzed in his hands and below his arms. After therapy in the U.S., Jon, his family, and his friends, began working to support other SCI survivors in India with rehabilitation and job training. In partnership with the IHF, ESCIP produced an educational and motivational documentary, More Than Walking, directed by Jon. The film chronicles the journey and rehabilitation of Jon and four Indian SCI survivors.
The goal of More Than Walking is to challenge Indian quadriplegics with a vision for the possibilities of life after their injuries, a vision for something much more than just waiting for a cure that would let them walk again. The Hindi version of the film is nearing completion, and translations into Arabic and other languages are beginning. Distribution in India—for free, to hospitals and SCI survivors in India—will begin by Christmas, and Jon will return to India in January to promote the vision of the film. Meanwhile, our social worker-teacher on site in Delhi is coordinating post-hospital therapy, education and counseling, which is out of reach for all but the most wealthy Indians.
Email us at vsigworth (at) gmail (dot) com for more information on obtaining a copy of More Than Walking, or more specifics about our “Empower-a-Quad” program.
Donations can be made just as any other donation to the IHF — click the donate button to the right. Please indicate “ESCIP” in the box next to the donation amount on the paypal payment page.
To make monthly contributions, please go to Friends of the IHF
To make a designated donation, please go to ESCIP in the Catalog for Change
