This past Saturday was the second annual cooking fundraiser.  Last year, some of my friends put on a cooking fundraiser where they would grill out pork tenderloins.  It was a great success and it helped raise money for my therapy trips and my equipment.  It went so well that my friends decided to do it again this year.  It was also a huge hit this year.  They sold both pork tenderloins and turkeys this year.  I want to thank everyone for buying meat and for the generous donations for my therapy fund.  I also want to send a special thank you to all of my friends who put in the time and effort to pull this fundraiser off.  A lot of time and work went into this fundraiser and I am very thankful for the generosity of my friends.  I know that for me to reach my goals and dreams, none of this would be possible without you guys.  I am very humbled by the support of my friends and community.  Thanks again for all of the thoughts, prayers, and support…  God Bless!

Matt C    

Here are the pictures from the 2008 Cooking Fundraiser:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mattcourson/sets/72157604249037128/

When I was in high school I was introduced to the music of what would later become one of my favorite bands.  This band is called the Randy Rogers Band.  After graduating high school, I always wanted to attend a Randy Rogers Band concert.  I was going to attend a concert right around the time of my accident, but due to my accident, I didn’t get to attend the concert.  One of my friends even told the Randy Rogers Band my story and they sent some shirts and autographs while I was in the hospital.  I would always listen to the band’s music while in the hospital and at home.  I always said that I was going to attend a concert when I recovered from this injury.

This past Friday night, I attended my first Randy Rogers Band concert.  It was held at the Rumba Revolution in Little Rock, Arkansas.  A lot of my friends were also at the concert.  It was the best concert that I have ever been to.  We had a great time.  As the concert was winding down, Dan (Randy Rogers Band Tour Manager) came and got me.  Dan was a great guy and was very friendly.  Dan then took me backstage to meet the band.  My good friend Paige Reed went backstage with me to take some pictures.  Right after Randy Rogers played his last song he came backstage to hang out and meet me.  He was a great guy, as were the rest of the members.  I told Randy Rogers that this concert has been a long time coming…  I told him that this band has been by my side even though they didn’t know it.  I told him that there were times that I would lay in bed not being able to sit up when I would listen to his music and visualize where I wanted to be…  He told me to continue to keep on pushing forward and to defy the impossible.  Brady Black, who is the fiddle player and also another great guy, told me that he wants me to get back on my feet and get to where I can come on stage and play the tambourine with the guys during a concert…  I guess he doesn’t know that the only instrument I have ever had any luck with is a baseball bat.  These guys were an amazing group of individuals.  I am very happy that I finally got to meet the group in person and develop a relationship with them.  I want to thank both Dan and the Randy Rogers Band for giving me an awesome experience.  God Bless!     

A couple of weeks ago I set a new goal.  My new goal is to stand up without braces and bear my own weight.  This is a very difficult goal to achieve and one that many may think is impossible.  This goal will take a lot of hard work and a lot of perserverance.  I talked to both of my therapists Claire and Jerry for some advice on tackling this goal.  I even talked to Mr. Pat Rummerfield and asked him for any tips that he had.  They all had some neat ideas and great information that was very helpful. 

About two weeks ago, I started doing some exercises to work the muscles that will allow me to reach this goal.  The main muscles I am targeting for this goal are the quadricep muscles.  When the quadricep muscle fires, it allows me to lock out my knee and keep my leg straight.  I have used two main pieces of equipment among others.  These two pieces of equipment are the EMPI electrical stimulation device and the standing frame.  I have been placing the electrodes on my quadricpes, while I stand up in the standing frame.  When the electrical stimulation goes off, it is teaching my muscle to fire.  While in the standing frame, I am not using any back support or frontal support to hold me up.  I am using my arms, core, and the stimulation in my quadriceps to keep me up straight.  I have been doing this for about 30 mintues every night.  I notice some progression after every time I stand up.

Finally after two weeks of doing this, I was determined to try to stand up all by myself at the parallel bars.  My Dad would hold my knees and help me keep my legs locked at first.  This is the easiest part because basically he is keeping my legs straight, just like my leg braces.  The tricky part is when he lets go and I have to keep my legs straight using the muscles in my quads.  I then told him to remove his hand and so I could try to stand by myself.  I felt very confident before trying this…  I was then able to continue to stand and fire the muscles in my quadriceps to keep me up straight.  I could do this for around 12-14 seconds each try.  This is amazing because I am not using any support, such as braces, rather my own muscles to keep me up.  I am very excited because I can see dramatic progress at this goal after just two weeks.  I can’t wait to see where I will be in a couple of months after doing these exercises.  I want to thank Claire, Jerry, Pat and all the others for the advice at tackling this goal.  Also I want to thank everyone for their thoughts, prayers, and support…  God Bless!!!

Matt C      

On March 12, 2008 I had the honor to speak at the 2008 Arkansas Farm Bureau State Convention.  I traveled to Little Rock where I spoke to a large group of Farm Bureau Agents.  My father, brother Chris, Papa Jack and Nana were in attendance.  It was neat for my Papa Jack to be there because he was a former state board member and has been to several Farm Bureau State Conventions over the years.  Growing up I was told by my Papa Jack what a great company Farm Bureau was and its importance to the State of Arkansas. 

The Farm Bureau State Convention was held at Embassy Suites in West Little Rock.  As I walked into the convention I had the privilege to meet the Arkansas Head Football Coach, Bobby Petrino.  Coach Petrino, who spoke just before me, was very polite and a great guy.  I asked him, “If he spoke to the crowd about recovering from a spinal cord injury because I was planning on talking a little football.”  He seemed to get a kick out of that.  I gave him my card and told him a little bit about myself… He mentioned if our schedules line up, he would like to get me up to talk to his team. 

The Farm Bureau State Convention’s theme was “From Good To Great”.  This theme went hand in hand with my message.  Seeing the different agents with the achievements that they have reached really fired me up to continue to push hard towards my goals.  I was introduced by a family friend and insurance agent in McGehee, Joe Herren.  Mr. Joe gave a great introduction as he said some kind words about me, which were mostly true .  I rolled on stage as a video was played of my early years, my accident, and my road to recovery.  I then shared the story of my life and how ’Nothing Is Impossible’ through four simple steps: FOCUS, PREPARATION, CONFIDENCE, and FAITH.  I felt like my message was well received and the audience took hold. 

I developed many new relationships with the different Farm Bureau Agents that I met.  I am very thankful that I received the opportunity to share my message with such a well respected and professional company like the Arkansas Farm Bureau.  I am very humbled by the out-pouring of support and the kind words.  I want to again thank the Arkansas Farm Bureau for the opportunity to share my story…  God Bless!       

My parents and I will be attending the 2008 Working 2 Walk Conference in Washington D.C. on April 13- 15. The Working 2 Walk Conference is a workshop that brings together leaders in the paralysis community.  It’s main goal is to advance research that will lead to restoration of function and healthier lives for individuals of paralysis.  There are many highly acclaimed speakers such as Dr. John McDonald, Dr. Hans Keirstead, Dr. Stephen Davies among others.  I am excited on the opportunity to develop new relationships and friendships at this conference.  My good friend Mr. Pat Rummerfield and others from Kennedy Krieger Institute will be there along with some of my new friends from SCI-Step.  Also Jennifer French, who has a spinal cord injury, will also be speaking. Jennifer interviewed me about the RTI FES Bike that I ride for her newsletter (http://www.neurotechnetwork.org/).  I am excited at the opportunity to meet Jennifer… She is such an inspiration!  I will be sure to keep you up to date on my trip in the coming weeks.  Thanks and God Bless!    

http://www.working2walk.org/ 

I have finally arrived back home in Arkansas.  We had a great flight and it is nice to be welcomed home with some nice warm weather.  I have created a short video highlighting my stay at SCI-Step.  To view the video, click on the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttnFEOFeRJU.  This video portrays a lot of the hard work and dedication that went into my stay.  I am very thankful to SCI-Step for the opportunity to further my therapy.  Thanks again to all of you for your unending support.  Hope you enjoy the video!!!

Matt C