Clovis business helps people with spinal cord injuries get back on their feet

Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Clovis business helps people with spinal cord injuries get back on their feet
"These people here are, I joke about it, but they are the true heroes. They are bringing me back to life."

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- Taylor Laird is growing stronger every day.

"My goal is to go from 40% body weight to 100% body weight," she said. "I don't know how long it is going to take to get me there, but that is the main goal."

About 10 months ago, a neurological disorder put her in a wheelchair. Day by day and step by step, she's learning how to walk again.

For the last three months, she's been making strides - a lot of that progress made at SCI-FIT in Clovis.

"I came in on a wheelchair and we are working on getting me on canes," Laird said. "Which is amazing and I truly believe they are going to get me on my feet to where I can walk on my own."

The exercise-based therapy center focuses on helping people with neurological disorders and injuries.

Floor manager and co-owner Steve Nava says they use a five-step program to get people back on their feet.

It's also the only place in the Central Valley you can find two state of the art of pieces of technology. One of those is the local mat.

"It takes the perfect steps every single time, which allows us to take the most amount of steps in a short period of time," Nava said.

The other is the Robomedica. It suspends a patient to help them stand and walk on a treadmill. Slowly more weight is added.

"She is focusing on shifting her weight, every single time," Nava said. "So she is shifting her weight brings her hips forward keeping her gluts and her back engaged."

It's been life-changing for Laird.

"These people here are, I joke about it, but they are the true heroes," Laird said. "They are bringing me back to life."

Nava says before locals would have to travel hundreds of miles to Sacramento or Pleasanton to find this kind of therapy.

They've been open since March and treat people as young as three years old.

Anyone interested in checking out their services can go to scifit.com and fill out an online application to schedule an appointment.