PHOTO BY PAULA MULLER
Kevin Dusablon gets a hug from his biology teacher Lorraine DeAmato during his fundraiser at the Knights of Columbus in Lynn.
By GAYLA CAWLEY
LYNN — Kevin Dusablon’s life changed in an instant last summer when a car accident left him nearly completely paralyzed from the shoulders down.
Kevin, 20, was a passenger in a motor vehicle enroute to visit a friend when the driver lost control, slamming into a telephone pole and tree.
He spent three weeks in intensive care at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston, before being transferred to begin therapy at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Charlestown, where he remained until late last year. At Spaulding, he had at least four hours a day of rehabilitation and therapy.
Dineen Dusablon said she and her husband, Steven, initially received a phone call from the hospital, informing them that the doctors believed their son was paralyzed. The couple was told that it was a pretty bad injury, with little hope of recovery.
Dineen said Kevin shattered two vertebrae. She said the level of the spinal cord injury leaves him with shoulder and upper arm movement, but no wrist or finger movement. He broke his collarbone as well and is considered a quadriplegic, which is described as having paralysis of the arms and legs. Dineen said he didn’t have the shoulder and upper arm movement initially.
“We certainly hope with more therapy and time, he might regain more,” Dineen said.
On Friday, about 300 friends, family and supporters stopped by the Knights of Columbus Building for a fundraiser to show their support for Kevin. Steven’s brother Paul, and his wife Paula Dusablon, hosted the packed fundraiser that raised more than $30,000. An online fundraiser on HelpHOPELive, which was started by Dineen’s co-workers, has also raised more than $30,000, toward a goal of $100,000.
“It was overwhelming,” Kevin said. “It really made me feel good. It really helps out. My parents have been footing the bill and it really helps with expenses.”
The funds will be used to make Kevin’s surroundings handicap accessible. The family got a handicapped van, which Kevin said makes him feel normal and allows him to go to his friends’ houses. Before that, he used the MBTA’s RIDE, which provides door-to-door, shared-ride transportation to people with challenges. But he complained that it “threw him around a little bit.”
The Dusablon family just moved to a newly built home in Lynn. Funds will help with the completed construction of handicap ramps and a wheelchair lift, which is like an elevator. Steven said the funds will also help with future medical expenses.
Kevin is under the care of Partners Home Healthcare, with a nurse, physical therapist and occupational therapist visiting him a few days a week. He plans to return to Spaulding for outpatient therapy and rehabilitation.
Dineen said the family is also looking into more technology for Kevin, with anything voice activated, which can open doors, control the TV or control the heat. There are also plans for a Mac computer to coordinate with his iPhone, where he can dictate what he wants to write. Although he has no wrist or finger movement, Kevin has figured out a way to stay connected. He has a brace on his hand, with a stylus in the pocket, that he can poke at the iPhone to text and use social media.
“There was definitely a time in the first few weeks where we never imagined that would be possible,” Dineen said.
Also a savvy feature for Kevin has been a new wheelchair. With the chair, he can tilt back and forth or use an elevator feature, which raises him up and down, so he can be at eye level with people he is talking to.
Kevin said he is slowly getting better, and plans to spend the next two years focusing on his recovery before thinking about a return to college. He was told by doctors that the first two years would be crucial with getting most of his functions back. He was attending North Shore Community College, although he was taking a break at the time of the accident. He wants to continue studying business, with a plan to get into accounting.
“I’m OK with my situation,” Kevin said. “I’ve come to peace with it. If I get anything back, it’s awesome. I understand that might not happen, but I’m hopeful.”
Gayla Cawley can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @GaylaCawley
