By
DEBORAH A. MILES
If you’re into playing golf but physically challenged, there is a program at
Helen Hayes Hospital (HHH) in Rockland County that gets you swinging a club
again.
It’s called GolfAbility.
“When a person who plays golf gets hurt in any way, he or she may think the game
is over for them,” said PEF member Eileen Andreassi, director of recreational
therapy at Helen Hayes.
“My profession is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people and
showing them what they can do. To bring somebody out and show them they can play
a good round of golf is incredibly rewarding,”
The GolfAbility program teed-off in 2000 and was developed to encourage
individuals with disabilities to take up the sport and to prevent golfers from
giving up the game.
“It was another PEF colleague in Division 226, Bert Rappaport, the former
director of recreational therapy, who was instrumental in getting the program
rolling,” said David Wickes, a senior recreation therapist.
Worth every cent
“We received a grant from the U.S. Golf Association and the HHH Board of
Visitors,” Wickes said. “With that money we were able to build a
1,300-square-foot simulated putting green with six cups and three accessible
netted tee areas. Everything is wheelchair accessible.”
The $35,000 grant also paid for specialized equipment such as golf carts that
enable people to play who cannot walk or who have difficulty walking long
distances.
TIMING YOUR SWING — Wickes helps a participant in the
GolfAbility program with his swing.
PUTTING FOR HEALTH — A participant in the program is about to make a
hole-in-one. Photos by George Mattei
“They can play right from the golf cart because it has a swivel chair that
rotates 360 degrees. A person can golf from either a seated or standing position
with the help of a chest belt,” Wickes said.
Playing a real round
“The belt allows one to stand and hit the ball and not fall over,” said Sidney
Paul, who became a quadriplegic as a result of contracting a rare disease called
Guillain-Barre Syndrome. “The disease is self-limiting and with seven months of
help from the staff at Helen Hayes, I learned to walk.
“For the past couple of years, I have taken the GolfAbility clinics but never
got out to play on a real course. Last year, I promised myself that I would.
“It didn’t matter how I hit the ball. I was out in the sun having a good time.
The recreational therapists made sure we were safe. It was one of the most
enjoyable afternoons I have had in a long time,” Paul said.
“The pace is slower when adaptive golfers play a real round. People generally
don’t hit the ball as far as they did before they were injured or got sick. It
takes longer to play. However we teach the adapted game rules of playing ‘best
ball,’ ” Andreassi said.
The program runs from May to September and includes two regular golf outings.
GolfAbility has helped more than 300 people ranging in age from 12 to the
mid-80s. It is open to anyone in the tri-state area with a physical challenge
and costs $15. The sessions are held twice a month and include a professional
instructor from the Ladies Pro Golf Association, and recreational and physical
therapists.
David Wickes and Eileen Andreassi
For more information, visit
www.helenhayeshospital.org.
The Communicator June 2007
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