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| Path: Main Street : NewsWeek : Archive : Coffee with Cam Articles : Article |
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A Journey of Thanks: Part one
By Cam Tait
February 27, 2006
Dr. Glenn Doman is a name I've heard my entire life. I met him about 40 years ago, and I vaguely remember his distinctive white beard. Dr. Doman graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1940 with a degree in physiotherapy. Five years after graduating, he designed a new controversial program for kids with brain injuries. My folks took me to meet Dr. Doman at his facility, the Institutes of the Achievement of Human Potential, in April 1964.
I was born with cerebral palsy, a result of not breathing for 18 minutes when I was born. For the first five years of my life my eyes were crossed, I drooled, I didn't have any balance, and the only word I could say was "Mum, mum, mum." In the fall of 1963, my Uncle Jim was studying at the University of Princeton in New Jersey and heard about Dr. Doman's new program. He called collect and bluntly told my father he was not hanging up the telephone until my father agreed to take me to Philadelphia. To avoid a huge long distance telephone bill Dad said we would come. But when he told our family doctor we were heading south, Dad was advised not to go. Our doc said the program had yet to be scientifically proven. Nevertheless, the results were amazing - and that's what my folks were focusing on.
When I was first assessed in Philadelphia, my parents were told I was functioning at the level of a 22-month-old baby. I was five years old. Rather than treating arms and legs that were dormant, Dr. Doman treated the brain injury itself. He saw the body parts that wouldn't respond to commands from the brain as symptoms. He proved the undamaged brain cells, if properly trained, could take over from the damaged cells. He used an exercise called a "pattern" to train the brain in such a way so my motor control skills would improve. My brain had stopped growing because of lack of oxygen at birth. The process would cause my brain to start growing again.
And it did.
In just three months of treatment, I was assessed as a four-year-old - an improvement of over two years. After five years of treatment, I was able to sit up and use a wheelchair. I could open my hands and use my arms and legs. And at the age of ten I started to speak.
My last trip to the Institutes was in the fall of 1969. I have always wanted to go back, to be re-united with the staff and Dr. Doman...to say thank you. Two years ago, I had shared my story - a tale I never really talked about until eight years ago - with my good friend Kevin Lowe, Edmonton Oilers GM. Kevin asked me if I had ever been back to the Institutes. I said I hadn't. Kevin didn't say anything at the time, but when the 2005-06 hockey season started in October, he did ask when my birthday was. December 10th, I said. Then, at the end of November, Kevin called me to say there was a seat for me on the Oilers' charter plane the following week when the team was playing the Flyers in Philadelphia. The Oilers wanted to help me complete the circle.
I called the Institutes to tell them I was coming and set up a meeting with Dr. Doman. For six days I wondered what I would say to him and how I would feel sitting beside the man who gave me so much. Next week, I'll tell you what happened.
Cam Tait is a sports reporter for the Edmonton Journal. He covered charitable issues for almost 20 years. Thoughts, comments, ideas or a simple hello are welcomed at cam@charityvillage.com.
Opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CharityVillage.com®.
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