Foundation Recipient
Keith Langfelder
Keith on His FES Bike at Home
Keith's Story
The Facebook page for Keith's company, Quality Seamless Gutters of St. Cloud, Florida
says it all. "We have been in business for over 21 years in central Florida and all our
work comes with a guarantee for as long as you own your home." Keith's company also
installs gutters on commercial buildings. He wasn't thinking about work however on
November 23, 2013. He was returning home from a family birthday party at Fun Spot in
Orlando when his motorcycle encountered some loose gravel on the offramp as he exited
the Florida Turnpike. The motorcycle slid into a center barrier and threw Keith off his
cycle.
Keith hit the concrete hard which resulted in a C-5 spinal cord injury and damage to
the frontal lobe of his brain.
He was initially given only a 10% chance of survival and was placed on a ventilator and
feeding tube. Ongoing severe spasms led to the installation of a baclofen pump and UTIs
and pressure sores hindered his progress. His doctors told Keith he would never walk
again, but he refused to believe them. Once his condition improved he moved into a
rehab program where he was introduced to to a device called a Functional Electrical
Stimulation (FES) bike. This device applies a small electrical pulse to paralyzed muscles
in order to improve or restore their function. It is not only used for exercise but it also
assists with breathing, grasping, transferring, standing and walking. There is even
evidence that it helps to improve bladder and bowel function while reducing the
frequency of pressure sores. Keith surprised his doctors by making more progress than
they predicted. That led to receiving a six month grant to attend The Center of Recovery
and Exercise (CORE) in Orlando where he continued his FES therapy. With the device
Keith made substantial progress in being able to move his arms and legs while gaining
some movement in his fingers and feet. His grant ran out on August 1, and he very
much wanted to continue his rehab. His goal is to be able to become active again in his
business so he can continue to provide for his family. His wife Chrissy had to quit her
job in order to help take care of Keith, even as she helped keep the business in operation.
While at CORE, Chrissy had read about the Joseph Groh foundation in a publication of
the Christopher Reeve foundation. Keith's dad, a retired college professor, called the
foundation looking for financial assistance to continue the therapy, which cost $2400 a
month. Working with the foundation and the rehab facility, Keith's family learned about
Restorative Therapies, a leading company in the field of neurological rehabilitation. The
foundation worked with this company to provide Keith his own customized FES bike,
which he can use while sitting in his wheelchair at home, eliminating the need for
transfers.
This is a very expensive piece of rehab equipment, but thanks to your donations the
foundation was able to provide Keith the means to permanently continue his recovery.
Keith on an FES bike at CORE in Orlando