Teddy Pendergrass Wheelchair Paraplegia

Teddy Pendergrass was born March 26, 1950 to Ida Geraldine Epps and the late Jesse Pendergrass, who left when Teddy was a little boy. Teddy Pendergrass was a student at the old Thomas Edison High School for boys in Philadelphia. Teddy P. dropped out of high school in the 11 th grade to persue music. Pendergrass was ordained a minister as a young boy however, In 1969 he joined Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes as a Drummer. He became lead vocalist for the group He started his solo performance in The church was his initiation for talent and eventually success.

On March 18, 1982 in the Germantown section of Philadelphia on Lincoln Drive, while on his way to a party Teddy P. was involved in a automobile accident when the brakes failed on his Roll-Royce and he hit a tree. Teddy Pendergrass suffered a broken neck, a crushed spinal cord, and damage to vital nerves. He was unconscious for eight days and when he regained consciousness, he realized that he was paralyzed below the waist.

Paraplegia Paraplegia is an impairment in motor and/or sensory function of the lower extremities. It is usually the result of spinal cord injury or a congenital condition such as spina bifida which affect the neural elements of the spinal canal. The area of the spinal canal which is affected in paraplegia is either the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral regions. Spinal cord injuries occurs when traumatic event results in damage to cell within the spinal cord or severs the nerve tracts that relay signals up and down the spinal cord.

Coping with spinal cord injury Spinal cord injury often provokes a profound emotional response in the patient, family members and friends. Denial, depression a feeling of hopelessness, and fear are normal and usual reaction. No single response is either expected or unexpected.

A wheelchair is a wheeled mobility device in which the user sits. The device propelled either manually(by turning the wheels with your hands) or with various automated systems. Wheelchairs are usually for people for whom walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury or disability.

Wheelchairs have been around for hundred of years but were intended only to help a disabled individual move from point A to point B. As society progressed and disabled individuals became more integrated, the use for wheelchair began to change. Wheelchairs are now considered not only a mean of transportation but also as a way for user to express their individuality. There are custom-made high quality ultra-light high performance wheelchairs as well as accessories that enable them to individualize their look and style.