- April 26, 2024
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Maria Azevedo had been a vibrant, active 69-year-old woman when she awoke suddenly one night in 2013 with excruciating back pain, according to a Florida Hospital Flagler press release.
Her husband rushed her to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with a spinal cord bleed: She would be paraplegic from the waist down. Her core muscles atrophied, and she began having trouble sitting up.
But thanks to a device donated by the Florida Hospital Flagler Foundation, according to the release, she can now get around with a walker.
“It is very rewarding to see immediate results like this," Florida Hospital Flagler Foundation Administrative Director John Subers said. “It is exciting and fulfilling for our foundation donors and board of directors to be able to assist so many services of the hospital.”
After her diagnosis, Azevedo went for rehabilitation at other facilities before returning to Florida Hospital Flagler in September.
When she arrived, she had had trouble supporting herself and sitting up in a wheelchair due to atrophy of her unused core muscles. So, the Florida Hospital Flagler Foundation donated a new tool called the EasyStand Evolv standing table.
“This standing table is something we’ve needed for a long time,” Florida Hospital Flagler rehabilitation services director Bridget Bergens said in the release. “In the last year alone, we’ve seen such an increase in patients with neurological conditions who could benefit from this.”
Florida Hospital Flagler physical therapist Laurel Gaddy said the standing table is a great tool in getting patients back to a higher level of mobility.
“When you have a patient who needs help standing, sometimes it takes as many as three therapists, just to get them upright so they can work on the treatments,” Gaddy said. “This allows us to get patients upright, standing and walking more quickly and safely. In Maria’s case, her rehab went exponentially faster as soon as we got her in the standing table. She was walking within a few weeks of using it for the first time. Now she’s out of her wheelchair and using a walker to get around.”
The foundation has donated other products for the hospital’s rehab program in the past, including iPads for speech therapy and a stroller for a 10-year-old Palm Coast girl with spinal muscular atrophy.
Azavedo’s rehab visits have been cut from three to two times per week because of her improvement.
“Maria is a go-getter and was very comfortable trying out this new equipment, and that positive attitude has helped her achieve some impressive results,” Gaddy said. “Maria’s still making continual improvement in her rehab journey, and I’m so honored to be a part of that process.”
Local framing shop still going strong
The following is an adapted press release from the Palm Coast Business Assistance Center:
Marna Conner came to the Florida Small Business Development Center, hosted by the University of Central Florida and located in the Palm Coast Business Assistance Center, in August 2011. Her dream was to own a retail store.
“I’ll always remember that first meeting with Marna,” said Joe Roy, area manager of the Palm Coast Business Assistance Center. “She had a clear plan and was passionate about the possibilities for her business.”
Conner sought the FSBDC’s help because her initial attempts to secure a business loan were denied. She didn’t have experience running a picture framing business, and the risk of failure was high. Conner and Roy discussed her background and business experience, including more than 15 years in the fashion retail industry.
Conner and Roy then worked together weekly on business plans, developing a three-year financial view including projected income statements, balance sheets, cash flow and break-even analysis. Conner underwent extensive training on the technical aspects of making frames, ordering materials and operating and maintaining the machinery.
With guidance from the FSBDC, Conner purchased the Picture Perfect Frame & Gallery on Nov. 1, 2011, located at 25-8 Palm Harbor Village Way in Palm Coast. She maintains an ongoing relationship with the FSBDC.
“Initially, we met monthly to review sales and expense actual performance compared to projections we had made,” Roy said.
Today, Picture Perfect Frame & Gallery is thriving.
Conner’s retail experience in fashion has proven invaluable for her new business venture. The cosmetics industry had drilled customer service and management skills into Conner, and she brought that to her new business.
“Looking at a piece of art is similar in that you observe the art, ask important questions about where it will be displayed and the home décor. It all connects!” she said.
Reflecting on her first two years in business, Conner said, “With many years of retail sales and management experience, and a degree in interior design, I knew that I had the skills to run the store. But I never realized how different it is when you are responsible for every single detail versus automatically getting a paycheck when you work for someone else. Being a small business owner is hard work but so rewarding.”
She credits the Florida SBDC at UCF in the Palm Coast BAC as a valuable resource.
“Joe and his team helped guide me through business planning and budgets,” she said. “We spent considerable time developing measurements to help me analyze the business’ performance. Most importantly, they understood what I was trying to do and why I felt my qualifications were appropriate to be successful in business. They encouraged me to move forward.”
The Florida Small Business Development Center at UCF is part of the Palm Coast BAC which has three full-time employees offering personalized services – including consulting, at no charge – to help grow local businesses. The BAC is located at City Offices at City Marketplace, 160 Cypress Point Parkway, Suite B-105, Palm Coast.
