REVIEW: "30 Days" In A Wheelchair

I finally got to see "30 Days" in a wheelchair. (My electricity kept flickering because of the storm forcing the delay.)

The episode starts with Ray Crockett, former National Football League player, wondering how anyone could do that (use a wheelchair for life) and how is he going to manage the change with his family. He will see what life is like for a paraplegic. He will be allowed to stretch his legs once per day so he doesn't get permanent side effects.

Ray starts out at Baylor University. He meets a Shannon, a 34-year-old woman, who suffered permanent injuries from a car accident 2 months previous. Ray will be using a lightweight wheelchair (looks like a Quickie.) On the way to his vehicle, he notices that people are looking at him and doesn't know if it's because of the wheelchair. Never mind that you're being followed by multiple people with video cameras and sound equipment.

He and his wife make it home and they go through the downstairs to assess how he will get around because not all doorways are wide enough, steps are everywhere, even going outside has it's problems.

Ray got his house retrofitted with ramp all over, he would pass the driving test for adaptive equipment and join a quad rugby team.

Blogger's Thoughts: The show tried to make great strides in showing how difficult it can for someone new to a wheelchair adjusting to the change of life. The issue that many in a wheelchair can attest to is that the better off you are financially the easier it is to get home modifications sooner. The people who require funding assistance could wait many months for the bureaucracy to work the proper channels.

I appreciate what "30 Days" was trying to do - show how someone without a disability has to adjust to using a wheelchair. However, there should have been some mention of the difficulties and lengthy process many have faced in getting a wheelchair, home modification, vehicle adaptive equipment.

U.S. Paralympic Track And Field Trials & Disability 101

Arizona State Sun Angel Stadium will be the host for the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Track and Field Trials. It's the only qualifier to get to Beijing for the Paralympians. The Paralymics are Sept. 6-17.

"The Paralympics have taken on added intrigue with the attention generated by double-amputee Oscar Pistorius, a South African sprinter. On May 16, Pistorius won a legal battle in the Court of Arbitration for Sport that allows him to compete against athletes with no disabilities. Officials with track and field's international governing body had argued that his prosthetics give him an unfair technological advantage."

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/0611paralympics0611.html
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Disability 101: When to offer help By Sandy Lahmann

"Previously I have belabored the point that able-bodied people should not go overboard trying to help people with disabilities. Nevertheless, the fact remains that sometimes people with disabilities do need help. How does an able-bodied person determine when it is appropriate to help and when it isn’t? I offer three rules. 1. Only offer help if it looks like the person with a disability is struggling. 2. Only offer help after you have allowed the person enough time to try doing it for themselves. 3. Always ask the person if they want help."

http://www.summitdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080610/COLUMNS/491707942/0/FRONTPAGE&template=printart

"30 Days" In a Wheelchair - FX Network 06/10/08

Has anyone seen the show "30 Days"? It's from the filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, who was made famous by his documentary, Super Size Me. He also has a show on the FX Network, "30 Days." Either he or a participant take part in 30 days of typically what they don't have knowledge of/oppose/don't agree with (border guard living with illegal immigrants, meat eater living with vegans living off the land, mother showing daughter effects of binge drinking, etc.)

Tuesday's (06/10/08), will air with retired football player, Ray Crockett using a wheelchair for 30 days. He will use a modified vehicle. His home will be made accessible.

"In 1991, Ray was on the field with the Detroit Lions when his teammate and friend, Mike Utley, was involved in a play that left him paralyzed from the chest down - an event that has not dissipated from Ray's memory. In fact, it is this incident that made Ray want to participate in 30 Days.

For 30 Days, Ray will live in a wheelchair and will rely on his mental discipline to keep his legs immobile. His home and his car will be retrofitted to accommodate his needs. Coaching duties for his son's football team will continue and Ray will join the Texas Stampede, the wheelchair rugby team featuring players made famous in the documentary film Murderball. He will attend a weekly support group for paraplegics at the Baylor Institute of Rehabilitation and meet with a physical therapist to monitor any potential side effects.

Throughout his 30 Days experience, Ray will be under the medical supervision of Dr. Robert Bruce in order to track any muscle loss, blood clots, pressure sores or other side effects that could occur while he is wheelchair-bound."

http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/30days/