Celeste Glover

Celeste and her husband Rick own and operate a small commercial and residential construction company in Phoenix. They do a wide variety of construction, most recently a lot of HUD apartment remodels and office building tenant finish outs. Celeste is a jack of all trades, as she manages the office, makes deliveries, and conducts regular site visits. She also does on-the-job tasks such as tile and trim repairs, caulk, change out of door hardware etc. Her life is one of being physically active at a high level. Recently, she and Rick took on an ambitious project in nearby Globe, Arizona. They purchased properties near downtown Globe that included 100-year-old homes and a small commercial building. They renovated and updated the properties, then secured long term renters for them. At that point they decided to take a bucket list trip, a six-week motorcycle trip meandering counterclockwise around the country, taking scenic back roads as much as possible.

Celeste was paralyzed at T7, which means she is paralyzed from the waist down, with all the complications that brings. She and her husband were just northwest of Great Falls, Montana on the way to Glacier National Park when a large animal appeared in front of her on a country road. She went off the road and was thrown from her bike. During the surgery and one month of hospitalization that followed, Rick never left her side. Returning to their lives in Arizona was full of challenges they could never have imagined. Managing her condition is a second full-time job for both of them. Before her accident their business was on solid footing, but now they are building debt.

Celeste is an athletic, Type A go-getter who wants to heal as much as possible – perhaps even walk again someday. Her doctors have told her that how far she will heal is up to her. She has had to compromise however on the level and quality of her healthcare, particularly rehab because of their financial condition. During rehab however she was introduced to a piece of equipment called a Myocycle, which is an FES (functional electrical stimulation) cycle. This rehab equipment has proven to be highly beneficial for someone in Celeste’s condition. It would also allow her to continue her rehab at home. There was no way she and Rick could afford this however, and that is when her rehab therapist told them about our foundation. Celeste filled out an application, and we worked with a company by the name of MYOLYN to provide the equipment. “I believe I will heal,” Celeste told me. “I cannot do it alone however, and we are so grateful for your assistance in helping me navigate my path to full recovery.”

The cycle was delivered recently, and Celeste sent us a video of her “maiden voyage.” You can see this video on the foundation Facebook page, at www.facebook.com/JosephGrohFoundation.com

The foundation had conversations with the CEO and chief clinical support specialist for MYOLYN to obtain additional information about the benefits of FES cycling, and why it’s critical in keeping people with paralysis healthy. This information will be added to the links section of the website in the coming months.