Learning to cope with a spinal cord injury may be the biggest challenge ever faced by an SCI patient and his or her family. It is good to know that you are not alone in such a difficult situation. SCI support groups provide the opportunity to make friends with people undergoing similar challenges and also offer the opportunity to learn more about SCI and how to deal with it.

Different SCI groups have different focuses. For example, some groups focus on helping people recently injured cope with their altered lifestyle, while other groups focus on providing recreational activities for people with SCI. If you have the opportunity, investigate several SCI groups before deciding which you want to join. Some people may find that they benefit from belonging to more than one group.

At this time Virginia has few support groups specifically for SCI.

 If you cannot find an SCI group in your area, you may want to consider establishing one. The Spinal Cord Injury Association of Virginia (listed below) can provide information on starting your own group. The National Spinal Cord Injury Association can also provide helpful information on starting your own group:

http://www.spinalcord.org/index.php

Spinal Cord Injury Association of Virginia

P.O. Box 8326 (1st Class mail only)

Richmond, Virginia, 23226
Phone: 804-726-4990
Fax: 888-752-7857

Meetings

The Spinal Cord Injury Association of Virginia meets the third Tuesday of every month from 5:30 - 7:00 pm .Anyone interested in spinal cord injury is welcome to attend. Please bring a friend or family member. During these meetings we discuss current and upcoming events and activities that may be of interest to members. Guest speakers are invited to present on a variety of topics. Newcomers welcome - It's free. On occasion, meetings at held at other locations. To verify the locations or for more information, please contact the office at 804-726-4990 or write

info@sciava.org

Meeting Schedule

Our schedule of guest speakers will be announced as they become available.

Meeting Place:

HealthSouth Rehabilitation of Virginia
5700 Fitzhugh Avenue
Richmond, VA 23226
Contact:

Steve Fetrow E-mail: steve.fetrow@sciava.org

Website: http://www.sciava.org/

Falls Church

Rebuild Spinal Cord Injury Group

This group meets on the second Thursday of every month, 6:30 to 8:00pm.  Park in "Blue" parking garage.  Contact Kristine to register and for more information.

Meeting Place:

Fairfax Hospital, Inova Rehabilitation Center
3300 Gallows Rd.
Falls Church, Virginia, 22042

Contact:

Kristine Kluck, JD, MSW 703-776-2295

E-mail: kristine.kluck@inova.org