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About Kasie Burtard (pronounced KC)
Kasie Burtard, (26), a native of Carbondale, Colorado is a recovering paraplegic. Paraplegic refers to a spinal cord injury occurring in the Thoracic, Lumbar or Sacral region. Kasie’s injuries were thoracic in nature.Prior to her accident Kasie pursued her love of the outdoors and led an active life which included rodeoing. Riding horses was a way of life for Kasie who helped run 1300 head of cattle in the family cattle business. Riding horses was not only a way of life, but WAS her life - her passion…and still is, although it is more difficult to do so now.
Kasie graduated from Roaring Fork High School in 2000 where she was active in sports and participated in her high school rodeo team as well as local rodeo events in both roping and barrel racing events. After graduating high school Kasie had plans. She moved to Rifle, and began working for Apex Security. She was even engaged.
On January 04, 2002, at the age of 19, Kasie’s whole life changed forever. While driving to work that morning she hit a patch of ice, lost control of the truck as she hit the median and rolled the truck she was driving. Unfortunately Kasie, being somewhat of a typical “invincible” young woman, had not been wearing a seatbelt at the time, and was ejected from the vehicle through the back passenger window and pinned under the vehicle. She was left with a spinal cord injury, more specifically she fractured her T8, 9, and 10 vertebrate which compressed on her spinal cord and of course left her paralyzed. In addition to her spinal injuries, she also had an array of other injuries including a broken jaw (which had to be wired shut), a broken pelvis, broken ribs (all of them on her right side), broken bones surrounding her right eye, and punctured lungs. She was initially taken to Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, and then was flown by “Flight for Life” to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction where she spent 11 days beginning to recover from her injuries. Kasie was then flown to Craig Hospital in Denver which specializes in spinal injuries, where she was told she would never walk again. She hated the idea of never being able to walk again, and she has been determined to prove her doctors wrong. Kasie spent the next three months learning to live in a wheelchair. This included having to learn how to: sit up, stand, and perform such simple tasks as going to the bathroom. Her accident has left her without feeling or the ability to move freely below the waist.
After the accident and months of recovery and therapy Kasie moved back in with her parents. As early 5 months after her accident she was trying to educate others on the importance of driving safely. She spent time speaking in the local schools and to the youth of the community, "Driving isn't like a game," she said. "You have to be safe all the time. My parents were always saying don't speed, and wear your seat belt. "I never listened to them. Now I'm paying for it," she said. “It is very important to me that young kids don’t make the same mistake that I did, and realize that accidents happen so quickly and can be devastating.” She began to attended Mesa State College, in Grand Junction for a time to pursue a degree in Elementary Education. Trying not feel sorry for herself, but not wanting to ‘drag’ her fiance down a long and arduous path since they were both so young, she pushed him away. Her intense therapy schedule and her desire to walk again led her to travel to treatment facilities in New Mexico, Missouri, Texas, and Oklahoma that specialize in spinal cord injuries and therapies. All this therapy cut into her time for attending college. Kasie came to grips with her situation and realized that she needed to put her therapy first in order to meet her goal, of “full recovery, which in my mind means walking again, ” and this could only happen if she dedicated the bulk of her time to innovative therapies.
Her strength and determination along with the support of her friends and family, and some amazing physical therapy practices, including acupuncture, hyperbaric chamber therapy, and learning to ride an exercise bike without stimulation have indeed allowed her to prove the doctors wrong, even if only briefly. She continues to travel to treatment facilities in New Mexico, Missouri, Texas and Oklahoma that specialize in spinal cord injuries and therapy. In December of 2006, just a week before Christmas, Kasie took 132 steps, albeit with the aid of a walker at a treatment facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. What a Christmas present to herself! It helped bolster Kasie’s hopes and dreams of full recovery and being able to one day walk again, on her own. Kasie’s spirit remains high and she holds onto her hope, because afterall, her spinal cord was NOT severed. So holding on to hope and being the determined young woman that she is, she is confident that with time and the proper treatment, namely stem cell therapy, she will see results.
Today Kasie lives independently in New Castle with her chocolate lab, Baylee. She works for the Colorado Division of Wildlife as an Assistant Office Manager in Glenwood Springs. Her positive attitude, knowledge of the outdoors and hunting (her father is not only a cattleman, but an outfitter as well) allows her to provide excellent customer service and relate to her customers and fellow employees. She is a vibrant and full of life young woman who pushes herself to her limits and beyond. She continues intense physical therapy, with a regular routine of acupuncture, yoga, and trips to special facilities for spinal cord injury treatments. Despite Kasie’s physical impairments, she continues an active outdoor lifestyle. She enjoys riding horses, attending rodeos, knee boarding, snowmobiling, going to horse sales with her Dad, spending time at her grandpa’s cabin (“the greatest place on earth“), and hanging out with friends. Kasie is filled with determination and faith that her progress will continue, “I know I will walk again…” She knows the success her friend Amanda gained from stem cell therapy in India. Kasie hopes that stem cell therapy will also help her to build upon the progress she has already made, and help her gain muscle mass and balance, and “hopefully to someday walk again!”
Kasie continues to push the limits of her abilities and strives to one day walk again. Kasie has been inspired by her friends Amanda Boxtel (http://amandaboxtel.com), who recently became the first United States citizen to receive human embryonic stem cell therapy with great results, and Leah Roland (http://helpleahroland.com) who also intends to travel to India in the spring of 2008 to receive similar human embryonic stem cell therapy. All three of these women have made amazing and courageous steps in their own recovery through their inner strength and determination. To date, over 70 other spinal cord injury patients have received successful stem cell therapy with no adverse side effects. Kasie is thrilled and looking forward to success in India when she hopes to receive her stem cell therapy this spring (2008). Yet she admits she is a little anxious about being “alone” and away from home in a foreign country for her treatment with only a few friends being able to make the trip as her caregivers. And of course there is the disappointment in having to leave, Baylee, her dog behind. Traveling to India, with a dog, even if it is a service dog is extremely complicated because of the health requirements, the quarantine period and the general concern for the health and welfare of the dog in a foreign country. But despite any apprehensions she might have, she is “pysched” to say the least, it is after all a chance to gain additional strength, muscle, and balance needed to someday walk again!
The above was written as the original "About Kasie" page when this website was first created...for updates on her since her first treatment and so much more, please visit other pages on this website...thank you.
CODivegirl |
Latest page update: made by CODivegirl
, Nov 22 2008, 5:42 PM EST
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| Started By | Thread Subject | Replies | Last Post | ||
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| Skeeter003 | Hey There Honey its Michelle | 0 | Jun 3 2009, 11:20 PM EDT by Skeeter003 | ||
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Thread started: Jun 3 2009, 11:20 PM EDT
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Hello there my friend long time no see or hear. Im sorry i havent been able to call u, Ive been going through alot of drama with Josh. We broke up and now I really dont have a place to kinda live. U can call me now at 720-242-8177. I just finally found ur number from packing my stuff. Im staying at my sons house but trying to get a job so im not here for long. I just signed up for a account with this facebook so I can talk to u I have a myspace. Anyways I miss u. I hope to maybe see u soon. xoxox
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