Love of Gaming Restored

From left: Rose Hedges, Dan Wolfe and Nick Dodds worked together in the generate innovation lab at St. Luke’s to create an adaptive keyboard for Lotus Friedman to use for playing video games after a spinal cord injury left her unable to fully use her hands.

THE LOVE OF GAMING RESTORED THANKS TO INNOVATION LAB

Lotus Friedman, 13, is once again able to play her favorite video game thanks to her team of caregivers at St. Luke’s Hospital. “I started explaining to everyone who was taking care of me that there’s this video game I liked to play every single day before my accident and how I couldn’t do that anymore because I play on a PC, which uses a keyboard and mouse,” shared Lotus Friedman. “Since my fingers are paralyzed, I really couldn’t do any of that, so my care team came up with ideas and put together keyboard prototypes.” Lotus was involved in a serious accident on January 18 in Dubuque during her fifth time skiing. Her parents Phil and Billie Friedman had been happy to see their daughter enjoying a new sport. “The day of my accident we wanted to try this jump,” explained Lotus. “I went off the ramp too fast, did a flip and my skis popped off. I did not mean to do a flip, and I landed chin-down. I knew something was broken and thought I was in shock and figured it was why I couldn’t move. I was conscious for everything.” “She never lost sensation,” said Billie. “But there was no movement from the waist down and in her fingers. Her abs and pelvis have kicked back in and one of her fingers has regained movement since her accident.”

Spinal Cord Injury

Lotus was initially transported to UnityPoint Health – Finley Hospital in Dubuque and airlifted to another hospital where she had surgery. Lotus sustained an acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Her C5 vertebra was shattered in the accident and replaced with titanium. She is paralyzed from her waist down. After surgery, Lotus eventually began treatment at St. Luke’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) where she worked for nearly eight hours a day, five days a week with a team of physical, occupational and recreational therapists. “Lotus has come a long way since her accident,” shared Billie. “She had very little movement when she first arrived at St. Luke’s, but she slowly regained use of her arms and other areas that initially lost movement.” “Lotus is an amazing young lady who worked hard every day,” shared Laura Decker, St. Luke’s PMR senior physical therapist. “There were days she didn’t feel well but she did everything we asked her to do plus more. At the end of her stay at St. Luke’s, Lotus was able to use her arms to move, feed herself, get ready for the day, and even play video games.”

Innovation Lab Creation

One of St. Luke’s PMR patient care technicians, Dan Wolfe, learned Lotus loved playing a certain video game. He went to the generate innovation lab at St. Luke’s and connected with Rose Hedges and Nick Dodds to create an adaptive keyboard for Lotus so she could game again. The innovation lab is an open-access medical technology and learning lab. It’s a partnership with Boston-based MakerHealth and is the first hands-on fabrication lab of its kind in the Midwest.

During the pandemic, generate shifted its focus to cloth masks, face shields and other associated items. Work at generate pivoted back to its original intent, which is to encourage and enable innovation at the hospital bedside and in UnityPoint Clinics. “We worked on Lotus’ gaming keyboard for about four weeks,” said Hedges. “Since Lotus doesn’t have fine motor skills, it was adapted to use her gross motor skills with larger buttons that correlate to something on the keyboard.” “It’s been a little bittersweet to have this device,” shared Lotus. “I don’t get to enjoy gaming like I used to yet and it’s something I am relearning, but I am thankful to have this device and the opportunity to do something I haven’t been able to do in a really long time. Even making the device was fun because I would go to the innovation lab and hang out with everyone there and just get away from being in the hospital for a time.” “I’ve been in awe of Lotus and the way she is handling the accident,” shared Billie. “She has been pretty incredible. Watching her zip into the innovation lab at St. Luke’s and say to Rose and Nick, ‘I have an idea that we need to work on,’ has been amazing.” “It’s satisfying to work with our team members and patients to help make their lives better,” shared Hedges. “We are here as a resource to our nurses, techs, doctors and patients and work with them to create innovative tools that improve their quality of life.”

New Normal

Lotus spent over 60 days at St. Luke’s. Her hard work and recovery continue. Part of her recreational therapy is playing her favorite video games using her adaptive keyboard made especially for her at St. Luke’s. “Recovery takes time,” explained Decker. “For all patients, we hope they return to their previous functional level. Because of the nature of the injury to the spinal cord or brain, some patients might not be able to get back to previous function but patients can get back to a meaningful and purposeful new normal despite their catastrophic event.” “Lotus recently went to a concert and dressed up for it,” shared Billie. “She used an adaptive tool from a care package sent by Rose and Nick from generate that helped her apply mascara. She had a great time, and it’s one of the ways she’s slowly learning how to live in her new normal.”

To learn more about St. Luke’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation or the generate lab at St. Luke’s, visit unitypoint.org.