About Us, SpinalCord.com

If you have found this website, it is likely that something very bad has happened in your life or the life of someone you care about. SpinalCord.com was created to help individuals and families just like you who are coping with spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries. You may be looking for help understanding what to do next or who can help you. We are different than nearly every other site you have or will visit because we are here for you. We will answer your phone call and reply to your email to discuss what is going on in your life. The truth is, we may not have the answer to every question about spinal cord injuries, but we will do our absolute best to help you and your family through this difficult time.

Our story is simple, our website first went online in 2000 as a means of sharing information with others.Spinalcord.com was then reimagined in 2015 by it's current founders Dale Swope and Angela Rodante who have decades of experience helping families recover financially, emotionally, and socially after a spinal cord injury. With this experience comes knowledge, and our founders believed this experience and knowledge should be available to help anyone with a spinal cord injury. Now that information is not only available, but specialists are available to talk about what your needs are and point you to local resources or even find a lawyer to fight for you.

In our website you will find of three types of pages each with a specific purpose:

Informational: These pages provide detailed information about specific topics. They cover details such as the anatomy, symptoms, treatment, and recovery of different levels of injury. They provide answers to some of the basic questions which come up after an injury.
Blog: Our blog cover topics which are important to the spinal cord injury and TBI communities. From important social issues to lighthearted stories or profile’s and interviews we aren’t afraid to talk about it. The blog is typically updated a few times every week with a new article.
Directories: This is the place to go when you are looking for facilities or groups specifically catered to our community. Our directories for spinal cord injury support groups and activity based therapy centers are particularly popular.

Consisting of over 1,400 pages we have answers to many if not most of your questions about spinal cord injuries, the website also has a search feature to help you find answers faster. For those who prefer to speak with someone there are a number of ways to reach us including phone, email, chat, or completing a form.

Whether a friend, family member, or you have sustained a spinal cord injury (or brain injury) a member of our team is available to speak with you during normal business hours. If you or your loved one are newly injured, and the long days are filled with medical appointments and other critical tasks we can often schedule a time to talk when it is more convenient for you. We also understand sometimes you may not even know the questions to ask and that is O.K., our team is happy to simply share strategies other families have found helpful when facing similar challenges.

Conversations with our team are informal and the subjects discussed are entirely up to you. Often questions revolve around treatment, recovery, local resources, or legal options but nearly any topic is open for discussion. The only questions we are not able to answer revolve around the medical treatment or prognosis of a specific individual. While we obtain research from medical experts and have a deep wealth of knowledge, our team members are not physicians and therefore do not provide opinions on specific courses of treatment for individuals or their prognosis.

Our Medical Experts

Dr. Dana Clark Kuriakose, M.D

Dr. Kuriakose graduated from Johns Hopkins with a BA in Neuroscience. She completed her residency at Harvard Medical School and finished her fellowship in Spinal Cord Injury Medicine at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. Dr. Kuriakose specializes in treating injuries that affect the Brain and Spinal Cord. She is also exceptionally skilled in sports medicine, pain management, and physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Jennifer Kornick, MS CCC-SLP

Jennifer Kornick graduated with her Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology from Duquesne University. Jennifer works closely with patients in the acute care hospital who have a history of spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries and strokes in attempts to help them to relearn vital communication skills. Jennifer was twice named model of excellence for AdventHealth and was also selected to attend the prestigious REACH leadership development program.

Our Authors

Our authors include Neurologists, Medical Doctors, Spinal Cord Injury experts as well as Traumatic Brain Injury experts and provide highly detailed information for our Spinalcord.com community. In addition to these academic and medical experts, our team also includes survivors of catastrophic injuries who bring a personal perspective to the topics and often provide information not otherwise found in textbooks or research papers. Our team of authors and survivors share their combined knowledge and experience that helps families and survivors in the SCI/TBI community.

Trusted By

Hospitals, Universities, & Medical Professionals

Hospitals and other medical providers are on the front-line treating survivors and assisting families immediately following a spinal cord or traumatic brain injury, Spinalcord.com is proud to support these institutions by sharing our resources with them. Hospitals, Universities, Rehabilitation Facilities, and Paralysis Recovery Centers around the country trust the information and resources on SpinalCord.com by sharing this information directly with their patients, doctors, students, trainers, and others involved in the SCI/TBI community.

Scholarly Articles

Researchers around the world continue looking for therapeutic options to treat individuals after a catastrophic injury as well as solutions to reverse the effects, and eventually cure paralysis. Many of these researchers rely on SpinalCord.com and cite our website in support of their research paper or article. We are proud and humbled that experts conducting this research have chosen to utilize our organization and website to further their own projects.

Media

Unfortunately, tragedy strikes our community every day, when that tragedy also overlaps a public figure or becomes newsworthy in some other way the media often turns to SpinalCord.com as a trusted source of information. Our website has become a favorite for media because we provide accurate information from experts about spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries in a manner that is easy for the average person to understand. The intent behind this content is to help those new to the SCI/TBI community, in doing so it also helps those reading the news to have some understanding about what a complex injury is typically.

Award

Spinalcord.com is Global Health & Pharma’s 2020 award winner for The Most Dedicated Providers of Spinal Cord & Traumatic Brain Injury Support. This award is presented to companies that contribute tirelessly towards promoting the physical and mental welfare of those in need of support. Award recipients are companies that have made substantial strides in contribution to the global healthcare or pharmaceutical industries, longevity diversification, have sustained or continued growth, significant innovations, as well as garnering feedback from patients and customers.

Meet Our Team

Executive Director

Vincent “Vinny” Dolan

Combining knowledge and compassion Vinny is the voice behind SpinalCord.com and the person you are most likely to speak with when reaching out to us. With over seven years of experience helping individuals and families understand everything that is possible after a spinal cord injury he often provides hope during difficult times. An avid researcher he helps connect SpinalCord.com community members with local individuals and resources to enhance their quality of life. Vinny has been a guest speaker at support groups leading discussions on topics such as activity based therapy, the importance of peer connections, and preventing caretaker burnout. Vinny holds a JD from Seton Hall School of Law and BS from the University of Massachusetts. An active member of his community Vinny sits on the Board of Directors at Next Step Orlando a paralysis recovery center, and other not for profit organizations in Tampa, FL.

Founders

Dale Swope

Dale Swope has been an attorney for over 40 years after starting a solo practice just six months after graduating from the University of Florida School of Law. Since then he has made it his life’s mission to use his legal skills to help those with the most catastrophic injuries. Mr. Swope has received nearly every award and recognition an attorney can receive, but what he is most proud of is the appreciation and thanks from his clients.

Read the rest of Mr. Swope’s Biography HERE.

Angela Rodante

Angela Rodante focuses on civil trial litigation, assisting clients who have been wronged by insurance companies, often following a catastrophic injury. Over her career she has won countless awards for the groundbreaking legal work fighting for her clients. She attributes her success to a deeply held belief that helping people and fighting for justice is her innate duty and notes that nothing worthwhile comes without sacrifice, selflessness, and courage.

Read the rest of Ms. Rodante’s biography HERE.