Damien Winiarski

Damien has been employed in the plumbing industry since August of 2005. He started off as a plumber's assistant and has worked for plumbing contractors on the northwest side of Chicago since then. On July 28, 2012, Damien was involved in a motor vehicle accident which would change his life forever.

A T 12 spinal cord injury is one which leaves you paralyzed in the legs and lower body. Damon is pictured above undergoing rehabilitation therapy at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, (RIC) consistently rated as one of the best rehab facilities in the country for spinal cord injury. One of Damien's rehab physicians at RIC had written a letter on his behalf seeking exercise/rehab equipment which would help him build upper body strength and eventually return to work. Damien's relatives found the Joseph Groh foundation through information on the Christopher and Dana Reeve website. They requested a standing frame machine which counterbalances many of the negative effects from constantly sitting. Clinical experience suggests that wheelchair users often experience painful, problematic and costly secondary complications due to long-term sitting.