On October 1st, UroMed’s own David Williams competed in and WON the Men’s Wheelchair Division A Singles tournament at the 2012 US OPEN USTA Wheelchair Championships in St. Louis. This is David’s 4th consecutive national championship win. Congrats David!
David fully believes in the I-Can Attitude!
David contracted Transverse Myelitis when he was 14 and has been in a wheelchair since. He originally had aspirations of playing wheelchair basketball and played that sport for several years. At the age of 17, he started playing tennis and hasn’t stopped since. UroMed featured David as a Hometown Hero last year. Click here to read his story.
See David talk about his life-changing experiences with Transverse Myelitis and wheelchair tennis in this interview filmed by 11Alive NBC News here in Atlanta:
About The USTA
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) is the national governing body for the sport of tennis and the recognized leader in promoting and developing the sport’s growth on every level in the United States, from local communities to the crown jewel of the professional game, the US Open.
David plays with and against some of the best wheelchair tennis competitors in the nation.
Established in 1881, the USTA is a progressive and diverse not-for-profit organization whose volunteers, professional staff, and financial resources support the singular mission.
The USTA is the largest tennis organization in the world, with 17 geographical sections, more than 750,000 individual members and 7,000 organizational members, thousands of volunteers, and a professional staff dedicated to growing the game.
The USTA: Making Tennis Make A Difference!
About Transverse Myelitis
Transverse myelitis is a neurological disorder caused by inflammation across both sides of one level, or segment, of the spinal cord. The term myelitis refers to inflammation of the spinal cord; transverse simply describes the position of the inflammation, that is, across the width of the spinal cord. Attacks of inflammation can damage or destroy myelin, the fatty insulating substance that covers nerve cell fibers. This damage causes nervous system scars that interrupt communications between the nerves in the spinal cord and the rest of the body.
Symptoms of transverse myelitis include a loss of spinal cord function over several hours to several weeks. What usually begins as a sudden onset of lower back pain, muscle weakness, or abnormal sensations in the toes and feet can rapidly progress to more severe symptoms, including paralysis, urinary retention, and loss of bowel control. Although some patients recover from transverse myelitis with minor or no residual problems, others suffer permanent impairments that affect their ability to perform ordinary tasks of daily living. Most patients will have only one episode of transverse myelitis; a small percentage may have a recurrence.
The segment of the spinal cord at which the damage occurs determines which parts of the body are affected. Nerves in the cervical (neck) region control signals to the neck, arms, hands, and muscles of breathing (the diaphragm). Nerves in the thoracic (upper back) region relay signals to the torso and some parts of the arms. Nerves at the lumbar (mid-back) level control signals to the hips and legs. Finally, sacral nerves, located within the lowest segment of the spinal cord, relay signals to the groin, toes, and some parts of the legs. Damage at one segment will affect function at that segment and segments below it. In patients with transverse myelitis, demyelination usually occurs at the thoracic level, causing problems with leg movement and bowel and bladder control, which require signals from the lower segments of the spinal cord.
Transverse myelitis occurs in adults and children, in both genders, and in all races. No familial predisposition is apparent. A peak in incidence rates (the number of new cases per year) appears to occur between 10 and 19 years and 30 and 39 years. Although only a few studies have examined incidence rates, it is estimated that about 1,400 new cases of transverse myelitis are diagnosed each year in the United States, and approximately 33,000 Americans have some type of disability resulting from the disorder.
Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
UroMed Community Giving
David Williams was sponsored by UroMed to attend this tennis tournament. UroMed is honored to support numerous charities and sports programs nationwide in the communities that we serve.
The company focuses its community efforts on three primary areas:
- Condition-related associations that focus on education, awareness and support
- Sports programs for the disabled
- Leadership and motivational programs for disabled youth
Additionally, many of our employees volunteer their time and efforts at various community events. Many of our employees have a personal connection to the following non-profit organizations, as 20% of our customer care associates either has a disability or has a family member with a disabling condition.
Please contact us if you would like to invite UroMed to sponsor your organization or event.
![Doubles partners Jan Proctor [R] and Lynn Seidemann [L] prepare for their match.](http://www.uromed.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/JanLynn.jpg "Doubles partners Jan Proctor [R] and Lynn Seidemann [L] prepare for their match.")
