Question
My father fell off the back of his porch, less than 3", after his heart took a 3 sec. pause.  He laid outside from about midnight til the neighbors heard his cry for help at 5 am.  He is a C4 incomplete quad, that has been diagnosed with Central Cord Syndrome.  He had C4 removed and C3 fused to C5.  He was in an acute rehab facility for about 3 weeks after surgery, his insurance company said he was not progressing fast enough and pulled the plug on that, then we put him in a skilled nursing facility, where they really worked hard on him, he is able to move his left hand/arm fairly well and his right is still limited.  He was getting trunk control, as well as moving his legs.  After being in the home for 113 days, the insurance company pulled the plug on that as well, for the same reason, not progressing.  Hence, he has been in my care for about a month.  He has a visiting nurse once a week and PT and OT twice a week.  We are getting no other help, I do everything else.  My question, have you heard of an insurance company pulling the plug on rehab not even 6 months into the injury and do you know of any organizations that might be able to help us with his rehab?  

Thanks.  

Answer
Hi Jeniffer,
Thanks so much for your questions.

First of all, I am truly sorry that I haven't answered your questions sooner. I am going through a difficult time with my health but I think I'm getting back on track, albeit, slowly.

Here is a website with a lot of info on spinal cord injuries, including many organizations that may be of some assistance to you.

www.spinalcord.uab.edu

It's run by the University of Alabama-Birmingham. It's one of the best I've seen.

Unfortunately, insurance companies dropping people after they've had an accident is not a new occurance. You might try to find a patient advocate in your area. They have many resources and may be able to help you and they will let you know what your rights are in this matter.

I hope this helps and if you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask me anytime.

Again, I apollogize for being so late.

John McKinzie