RICHMOND, Va. -- A man riding his electric wheelchair from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. to raise awareness about spinal cord injuries was in Richmond Sunday.
Janne Kouri made a stop in the River City to tour the new Sheltering Arms Rehab Institute, a joint venture with VCU Health, which is under construction.
Kouri was injured 12 years ago in a diving accident and was inspired by other cross country travelers who were spreading awareness about paralysis.
He joined the movement and even founded a nonprofit called NextStep Fitness, which aims to help improve the quality of life for those living with spinal cord injuries.
"Our mission is to build state-of-the-art progressive and affordable community-based process recovery centers so any of the six million people in the United States living with paralysis can have access to the best in rehab fitness and healthcare for their entire life,” Kouri said.
Kouri and his team plan to arrive in Washington Wednesday where they will push for a similar recovery center.
Click here to learn more about the initiative or to make a donation.
