Colorado Paralysis Foundation

The Colorado Paralysis Foundation (CPF), a grassroots Colorado not-for-profit organization recently launched its resource-based foundation that directly supports individuals living with paralysis. CPF will act as a central hub, connecting the Colorado micro-communities that assist paralyzed individuals and their families to live their most independent and barrier-free life with its first priority addressing access to trained healthcare partners.

“One of CPF’s first main targets is to address the caregiver crisis,” says EB Forst, Executive Director and Founder of CPF. “Living the life of a quadriplegic, I know firsthand how incredibly difficult it is to find proper healthcare providers that have the experience and education to facilitate my day-to-day care needs; sadly, I have had to sleep in my chair overnight more than once due to lack of provider assistance. It’s a really serious issue not only in Colorado but across the nation.”

CPF expanded its outreach becoming the first-of its-kind recognized independent affiliate of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. With this new partnership, CPF received a $20,000 sponsorship from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation to support the creation of an unprecedented healthcare provider training program. In collaboration with local, medically-qualified instructors in Denver, Colorado, this hands-on training program will be specifically geared to teaching healthcare providers who wish to advance their skills, specifically aimed at aiding the local Colorado paralysis community.

“We are excited to embark on this important mission with CPF. Our affiliation will enable us to work together to enhance the support system for the local Colorado paralysis community, and may serve as a model for other states,” said Maggie Goldberg, President and CEO of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. “With a dearth of qualified home healthcare providers, America faces a rapidly growing crisis. We will all need caregivers in our lifetimes, and the most vulnerable need immediate solutions. We believe this first- of-its-kind training program will make a visible impact in Colorado.”

Acting as an active steward of its local communities’ resources, the Colorado Paralysis Foundation will be working with donors to establish charitable funds to connect its members and their causes to promote a sustainable impact. Through enhanced educational programs, advocacy and direct support programs, CPF’s mission is to act as an agent of change for the local paralysis community improving access to healthcare, transportation and other local resources to further empower its members.

For more information, or to enroll in the healthcare provider training program, please visit www.coloradoparalysis.org