How We Help.

Paralysis does not discriminate; which is apparent in the dozens of applications the MW Fund receives each year from individuals of all ages, races and various demographics. After carefully reading through each applicant’s story, the common thread we continue to see is the dedication and drive each person has towards their recovery.

Our goal is to help as many of these applicants as possible.

  • Approximately 1.7 percent of the U.S. population, or 5,357,970 people, reported they were living with some form of paralysis.

  • Spinal cord injury is the second-leading cause of paralysis.

  • Roughly 28% of households with a person who is paralyzed make less than $15,000 per year.

  • Rehabilitation lengths of stay have declined from 98 days to 30 days.

  • About 78% of new SCI cases since 2015 are male.

  • About 24% of injuries have occurred among non-Hispanic blacks, which is higher than the proportion of non-Hispanic blacks in the general population (13%).

    [Information provided by the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation]

Specialized Therapy

The MW Fund provides financial assistance to individuals who have suffered a traumatic spinal cord injury and cannot afford specialized SCI rehabilitation therapy. Individuals who have suffered an SCI are encouraged to complete our online application in order to be considered. Each year, the MW Fund selects a minimum of 4 individuals to receive financial assistance that will be put directly towards their rehabilitation program.

Epidural Stimulation

The Epidural Stimulation Program at the University of Louisville Spinal Cord Injury Research Center focuses on understanding how controlled electrical stimulation to the lower portion (lumbosacral) of the spinal cord enables the recovery of specific functions of the nervous system.

Matt Wetherbee, founder, and president of the MW Fund has been participating in this program since October 2018. He was implanted with the device in November 2018 and began cardiovascular and standing training shortly after. He has also participated in other studies using the stimulator such as voluntary movement and bladder function. Since using the stimulator he has seen many improvements both physically and mentally.

Although there are prominent nonprofit foundations and government grant programs that fund this research, these funds do not cover living expenses for research participants. Candidates that agree to participate in research with the epidural stimulation program must move to Louisville for an extended period, and participating in this research is a full-time job in itself.

The MW Fund provides grants for individuals who are accepted into the epidural stimulation program but cannot afford the cost to move to Louisville. We believe that everyone who is accepted into this program deserves the opportunity to participate in this groundbreaking research that can improve the lives of so many those living with spinal cord injuries.

You can learn more about the epidural stimulation program here. 

For more information on the MW Fund and how our grant program works, please visit our FAQs.