Travis Roy Foundation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Announce Major Gift, Naming of Travis Roy Center
BOSTON (October 28, 2022) – The Travis Roy Foundation and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital today jointly announced the formation of The Travis Roy Center for Enhanced Independence at Spaulding Rehabilitation. The Center will be supported by a grant of more than $2 million from the Foundation, which is winding down operations after 26 years.
The Travis Roy Center for Enhanced Independence’s mission is to accelerate personal independence and quality of life for those with tetraplegia due to spinal cord injury (SCI), and to serve their families and caregivers. Dr. Randy Trumbower, currently the Director of the INSPIRE Laboratory at Spaulding and renowned Spinal Cord Injury researcher, will serve as the Executive Director of the new Center.
The Center will provide personalized assistive technology in the form of physical and intellectual resources for the immediate and ongoing support of people with spinal cord injuries (SCI) resulting in tetraplegia. Expanding upon the success of the Travis Roy Assistive Technology Pilot Program, the Center will offer resources to enable individuals to regain functional independence in their homes and communities by providing the SCI community with:
- Real-time, in-hospital access to state-of-the-art assistive technologies and training on their use
- Web-based access to assistive technology resources
- Take-home assistive technology equipment kits tailored to the highly variable needs of SCI survivors. These kits will be provided during the inpatient recovery period for advance customization and training prior to discharge.
- Assessments of safety, efficacy, and useability of assistive technology resources
An estimated 200,000 individuals with SCI in the United States have tetraplegia, which obstructs the voluntary movement of the upper and lower parts of the body. There are 20,000 new such injuries each year, half of which occur under the age of 30.
“It is bittersweet that the time has come to honor Travis’ wish to close the Foundation’s doors. As part of a final tribute, we are pleased to announce this endowment to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital,” said Travis’ parents, Lee and Brenda Roy. “This gift assures Travis’ legacy of hope and inspiration for others will live on in perpetuity. New England’s spirit and generosity have made this possible. We can’t thank you enough.”
“Travis’s impact on the spinal cord injury community here at Spaulding and across the entire nation has been profound, and with this gift, his impact will endure for years to come. We are so proud to honor his legacy in this meaningful way, and under Dr. Trumbower’s leadership, we will continue to advance the quality of care and resources for our patients and their families,” said Dr. Ross Zafonte, President, Spaulding Rehabilitation.
“It is a humbling honor to lead this Center and to help perpetuate the incredible spirit of Travis Roy. This funding will allow us to harness technologies in a way that will accelerate independence and improve the quality of life for so many of our patients and their families. Our mission is to provide resources for all people with spinal cord injury that will afford them more access and independence,” said Dr. Randy Trumbower.
"I know I speak for my fellow trustees of the Travis Roy Foundation in saying how immensely grateful we are to the thousands of supporters who have allowed us to make gifts like this, and to Spaulding for continuing Travis’ legacy with this unique program to help others,” said Foundation co-founder Arthur B. Page.
Travis Roy was a promising Freshman hockey player at Boston University when he was paralyzed during his first shift in an NCAA game. He soon became a beloved and widely respected advocate for the SCI community. The Travis Roy Foundation was established in 1996 to help other spinal cord injury survivors and to fund research. It raised more than $25 million, primarily to provide adaptive equipment and life aids to improve the quality of life for individuals living with paralysis.
The Foundation has helped more than 2,400 individuals gain more independence and control over their lives through grants. Spaulding will continue to build upon this legacy of strength and success.
About Travis Roy Foundation
The Travis Roy Foundation is dedicated to helping spinal cord injury survivors live more independent and hopeful lives through adaptive equipment grants and funding scientific research focused on solving paralysis-related challenges. For more information, visit https://www.travisroyfoundation.org
About Spaulding Rehabilitation
A member of the Mass General Brigham Health System, Spaulding Rehabilitation includes Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, with a main campus in Charlestown the 3rd ranked rehabilitation hospital in the country by U.S. News & World Report, along with Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Cape Cod, Spaulding Hospital Cambridge, Spaulding Nursing and Therapy Center Brighton, and over 25 outpatient sites throughout Eastern Massachusetts. An acclaimed teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and home to the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding is recognized as a top residency program in the U.S. in the Doximity Residency Navigator. Spaulding also was recognized by the 2022 Disability Equality Index as a “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.” For more information, visit www.spauldingrehab.org.
Contact:
Travis Roy Foundation: Brian Heffron, bheffron@ctpboston.com, 781.799.9568
Spaulding Rehabilitation: Tim Sullivan, tsullivan11@partners.org, 617.501.5985