Spinal Cord Injury Survivor Marc Buoniconti Inspires With Talk at MedStar NRH

WASHINGTON, D.C., – Nov. 15, 2017 — MedStar National Rehabilitation Network welcomed Marc Buoniconti with the Miami Project, as a special guest grand rounds lecturer which took place at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital on Wednesday, Nov. 15.

Marc is part of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and the Buoniconti Fund, an organization named after him that seeks to find a cure for those with spinal cord injury and paralysis. He was paralyzed from the neck down during a college football game in 1985 while playing linebacker for The Citadel.

Not long after his injury, Marc’s father Nick Buoniconti, a hall of fame NFL linebacker with the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins and Barth A. Green, MD, started the Miami Project organization. The Miami Project’s main focus is to ultimately try and help those who suffer from spinal cord injury and paralysis to walk again.

Buoniconti talked about how over the years, since 1985, that $500 million has been raised to find a cure for paralysis. He says scientists have been working overtime to find that cure, doing testing and research to discover new pathways.

“Secondary image, the inflammatory process, truly causes the paralysis,” said Buoniconti. “It’s those seconds immediately after a spinal cord injury where paralysis occurs, where cells die. If you want to repair a spinal cord, finding a replacement for the damaged cells is most important.”

More information on the Miami Project - https://www.themiamiproject.org/about-us/

About MedStar National Rehabilitation Network

The MedStar National Rehabilitation Network is a regional system of rehabilitation care that offers inpatient, day treatment and outpatient services in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia.

The Network's interdisciplinary team of rehabilitation experts provides comprehensive services to help people recover as fully as possible following illness and injury. Rehabilitation medicine specialists, psychologists, physical and occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists work hand-in-hand with other rehab professionals to design treatment plans tailored to each patient's unique needs. Rehabilitation plans feature a team approach and include the use of state-of-the-art technology and advanced medical treatment based on the latest rehabilitation research.

The Network provides comprehensive programs specifically designed to aid in the rehabilitation of adults and children recovering from neurologic and orthopedic conditions such as amputation, arthritis, back and neck pain, brain injury, cancer, cardiac conditions, concussion, fibromyalgia, foot and ankle disorders, hand and upper extremity problems, post-polio syndrome, stroke, spinal cord injury and disease, and sports and work-related injuries.

Inpatient and day treatment programs are provided at MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital located in Northwest Washington, D.C., and at more than 50 outpatient sites conveniently located throughout the region. MedStar National Rehabilitation Network is fully accredited by The Joint Commission, the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), with CARF accredited specialty programs for Amputations, Brain Injury, Spinal Cord Injury and Stroke.

For more on MedStar National Rehabilitation Network and to find a location near you, log on to MedStarNRH.org.