Fighting Back would like to honor the 2008 scholarship recipients.
Click on the names to read their inspiational stories.

Scott Miller
John Takash
Velma Hilton

Life has placed numerous obstacles in the way of Scott Miller, but he refuses to let them rob him of appreciation of life or his desire to give to others. At age 55, he suffered a stroke. As soon as he regained consciousness, he decided that he would return toliving the life he was used to. Then he suffered a fall in which he broke ribs and punctured a lung. His physical therapist at Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital felt Scott needed Fighting Back to get past a “plateau” in his recovery. Noah, his trainer, reports that Scott came to the program with “many, many questions,” but that, once he began, he committed himself to regaining as much use of his affected limbs as possible. What impresses Noah most about Scott is his perseverance—“endurance to the point that I believe most of us would have given up, or at least relaxed a little”. Scott has now undergone several surgeries in the hope that they will offer him a better chance of improved function. Additionally, Scott has dedicated himself to helping other stroke victims. He volunteers at Bryn Mawr Rehaband spends time with physical therapy students to help them understand the obstacles he and others face. Scott and his family are grateful for all that the Fighting Back program has given him, but those who have come to know Scott Miller believe that he has given far more to others than he’s received.

A little more than three years ago, John Takash, III, was the epitome of fitness. He ran from his house tothe gym—about a mile—then he lifted weights, swam, and, finally, ran home. Now, three years after he was struck by a car going 50 miles per hour, John Takash struggles just to get his muscles to do the basic things he needs them to do. Nonetheless, says his mom, this Fighting Back Scholarship recipient has “never given up the fight to regain his independence. ”His injuries were everyone’s worst nightmare—traumatic brain injury, short-term memory deficit, a shoulder separation, and multiple leg fractures, among others. He spent nearly seven weeks in a coma, battled staph infections and double pneumonia, and eventually underwent surgery to repair his shattered left leg. After being discharged from Christiana Hospital, John spent four and a half months at Bryn Mawr Rehabilitation Hospital re-learning basic skills—swallowing, walking, and talking—most of us take for granted. Now, despite the challenges he’s faced, John continues to set his sights on a more independent future. He wants to start running and driving again, and wants to return to college. To keep himself on track, he’s committed himself to an exercise regimen that would make most of us collapse in exhaustion. He works outwith the Fighting Back program, but that’s not enough, so he lifts weights, works on flexibility and balance in a home exercise program, and takes part in equine therapy—and that’s just a start. He also “gives back” to those who face similar circumstances. He volunteers 5 to 10 hours a week at the Christiana Care PT Plus Facility, and he gives talks regularly to church and school groups. His persistence—and courage—continue to inspire his mom, his trainer, and everyone who gets to know him.

The many doctors who saw Velma Hilton struggled to identify the condition that was weakening her muscles, causing her to fall, and making it difficult for her to climb stairs. Over the course of 17 years, she received several diagnoses—including spinal muscular atrophy and polymyositis—until she sought an opinion at Johns Hopkins. Finally, after genetic testing, physicians gave Velma’s condition a name: limbgirdle muscular dystrophy, a progressive disease that slowly destroys her muscles, and a disease for which there is currently no cure. But with the help of Fighting Back, Velma is not letting her disease deprive her of her dignity and her joy for living. While she now finds it difficult to rise from a sitting position or walk, Velma still maneuvers around the house with her walker and gets out with her motorized wheelchair. Her trainer Steve, never ceases to be amazed at Velma’s perseverance. “Her disease is a nasty one,” he says, yet despite that, Velma keeps her spirits up. There is no quit in her. Velma’s heart and courage truly embody the spirit of Fighting Back.