CARMEL, Ind. — A state-of-the-art facility for the paralysis community is now open in the city of Carmel.
Two organizations are coming together to make it all possible at what used to be Five Seasons Sports Club.
Former INDYCAR driver Sam Schmidt used to work out there as an athlete, and now he’s turning it into a space for those recovering from spinal cord injuries like himself.
“I will always chase Indy 500s and championships, but racing is my passion,” said Schmidt, found of Conquer Paralysis Now. “DRIVEN and DRIVEN NeuroRecovery has become my purpose, and it will be my purpose for the rest of my life.”
A crash during a race in the 2000s turned Schmidt’s life upside down. Schmidt said, after that crash, he woke up in a hospital bed as a quadriplegic, unable to race again.
“I know I had great insurance, a great family, and the motorsports community behind (me) — that is not 99.9% of the population,” said Schmidt.
“It is really trying to give that level of care, and support, and direction, and inspiration to the masses.”
Schmidt is teaming up with Indy local and NeuroHope founder, Chris Leeuw, to make this vision of affordable, high-quality care a reality.
Leeuw had to travel across the country for treatment following an injury that doctors initially believed would leave him fully paralyzed.
After two years of rehabilitation, he’s walking and bringing that care here to Indy.
“Every neurologic injury is different, but the constant is they all need long-term care to really maximize that recovery,” said Leeuw.
The space features high-tech equipment like a robotic exoskeleton and aquatic center that are hard to find elsewhere.
“We want to do adaptive sports,” Schmidt said. “We want to do a hub upstairs for mental health services and canine companions and everything this population needs. We’d like to be a one-stop shop.”
Schmidt and Leeuw hope to help with all aspects of rehabilitation for as many people as they can.
“Recovery is a process,” Leeuw said. “People that go through these injuries, it’s a mental journey, it’s a physical journey, it’s life-changing.
“What people need is a next step in care when they leave the hospital, that’s what this facility is going to be.”
Indianapolis is the new headquarters for Conquer Paralysis Now. This is the 2nd DRIVEN NeuroRecovery Center in the country, and both Schmidt and Leeuw plan to expand even more in the future.
