Clinic Bowl to benefit Vanderbilt rehab services
David Lipscomb High School and Goodpasture Christian High School will square off tomorrow at Vanderbilt's Dudley Field for the 2006 Clinic Bowl Kickoff Classic.
The event, hosted by the Nashville Area Junior Chamber of Commerce, features area high school football teams and helps raise funds for Vanderbilt's rehabilitation services, including occupational, physical therapy, and speech and language services.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Money raised from the Clinic Bowl Kickoff Classic benefits patients at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, including the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Since 1950, the Clinic Bowl has raised more than $5 million to advance the work of Vanderbilt's rehabilitation services
These services are dedicated to helping improve physical functioning of patients with injuries, birth defects and other disabilities. Physical therapists help restore function to neuro-musculo-skeletal systems through education, exercise and hands-on care. Occupational therapy encompasses the learning of skills vital to resuming their life roles, including tasks such as dressing, eating, cooking and other aspects of working in today's labor force. Speech pathologists work to restore speech and language in patients whose communication or oral-motor skills have been decreased.
This year's Clinic Bowl Kickoff Classic spokesperson knows all about Vanderbilt's rehabilitation services. While a college freshman in Mississippi in 2003, Brett Martin suffered severe head injuries in an auto accident. He was in a coma for 10 days, and when he awoke could not walk, talk, read, write or eat.
Two months later he returned home to Nashville and began long months of outpatient speech, occupational and physical therapy at Pi Beta Phi Rehabilitation Institute, part of the Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center.
Martin now attends Tennessee Vocational Rehabilitation School and recently was cleared to return to college, a goal of his since he was injured.