Author: Joshua Alexander, MD
Alex was an 8-year-old boy with spastic tetraplegic (involving all four limbs) cerebral palsy who needed help to eat, bathe, and get dressed. All his care providers used a wheelchair to move him from place to place, lifting him both in and out of the chair.
One day, his mother bent over to lift him out of his chair and place him on a nearby bed. But just as she was straightening up, she felt a sudden pull in her back that sent shocks down her right leg. She put him in bed and called for his father to come and help her. The next day, at a visit to her own doctor, she had x-rays that showed a slipped disk in her back and was told that she must avoid heavy lifting if she wanted it to get better. Luckily, her neighbors and church members came to the rescue, taking turns helping with Alex?s care until her back improved.
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