John Stoker

Today, we learned from a classmate about a man named John Stoker who sustained an incomplete spinal cord injury. John had no movement below his thoracic region, but complete function in his right upper extremity. He was able to put a shirt on with some assistance. John was a very happy man and had a close relationship with God. He enjoyed listening to the Bible on cassette tape. Some of his goals were to be able to use the phone, maintain relationships with family and friends, and to reload his cassette tapes. Occupational therapy was used in his case for bowel and bladder rehabilitation. He did not want to use a colostomy bag that the doctor recommended, so occupational therapy was able to help him go to the bathroom more independently. I thought this was a very unique and unusual way for occupational therapy to help someone become independent in toileting.