A Passion for Making a Difference
New Mexico Elks Association’s long-time support of UNM Carrie Tingley Hospital helps improve the lives of kids with cerebral palsy
By Michelle G. McRuiz
Children who have cerebral palsy (CP) often struggle with motor skills, posture, reflexes, and gait. They have difficulty reaching for, grasping, and releasing objects. As a result, these kids need help with daily activities such as eating, drinking, dressing, and grooming.
Jacob, age 18, Las Cruces, NM, a UNM Carrie Tingley Hospital CP Patient.
The right therapies can vastly improve a CP patient’s hand skills, balance, and strength. At UNM Carrie Tingley Hospital, the Rehabilitation Department staff provide advanced rehabilitative services to kids with CP to help them reach their full potential. And thanks to generous ongoing support from the New Mexico Elks Association, the hospital can purchase high-tech equipment that helps CP patients achieve better results.
The New Mexico Elks Association, which is a collective of all New Mexico Elks Lodges, has been giving about $50,000 per year to UNM Carrie Tingley Hospital since 2020, says Doris Tinagero, RN, Executive Director of UNM Carrie Tingley Hospital and Children’s Ambulatory.
“They wanted to make a difference for patients with cerebral palsy, especially at Carrie Tingley,” Doris says. “That has been a passion of theirs.”
To date, the New Mexico Elks Association’s collective giving to the hospital totals $258,051.80. The organization has funded several pieces of equipment for pediatric CP patients, including:
Saebo Hand Treatment Kit, a collection of upper-extremity products that help train arm and hand function.
Bioness H200 Wireless Hand Rehabilitation System, a device clinically proven to increase range of motion and improve muscular function, strength, and coordination.
Restorative Therapies RT300, a therapy system with multiple neuro-rehabilitative capacities to stimulate muscles in the arms, legs, and trunk.
Ultima Series Cardiorespiratory Diagnostic System, an oxygen consumption tool that measures how much energy a patient uses while walking and playing.
An upgrade to the existing Restorative Therapies 300 integrated functional electrical stimulation (FES) software, which has allowed rehabilitation staff to customize therapies more efficiently for each patient’s unique status and needs.
This technology greatly enhances and expands the rehabilitative work UNM Carrie Tingley Hospital does with CP patients and helps children increase their mobility while building motor and balance skills. As a result, Carrie Tingley CP patients can achieve the best functional outcomes possible, says Doris. It also makes life a little easier for New Mexico families and improves the hospital’s competitive edge.
“Entering into this partnership with UNM Carrie Tingley Children’s Hospital has enabled the New Mexico Elks Association to make a greater impact on assisting those with CP,” says Kandi Barks, Past State President of the New Mexico Elks Association and Cerebral Palsy Advisor. “We are now able to reach a much larger base of children due to the equipment that has been donated through Elks funding.”
“The New Mexico Elks Association’s financial support helps us advance care and improve our technology,” Doris adds. “And it allows families to stay together and receive comprehensive CP services close to home, rather than splitting up to receive care out of state. We are so thankful to the New Mexico Elks Association for their continued generosity to UNM Carrie Tingley Hospital.”