Patient Deborah Reid is delighted by a porcupine.
The Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Center hosted its first “Wild for Wildlife” event on Saturday, September 24, at Central Park’s East Meadow. The event brought together traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients, stroke survivors, and individuals with spinal cord injury for a meet-and-greet with exotic animals. The one-hour outing was made possible by the Bridges for Brain Injury’s Wildlife Defenders Program, an education outreach and TBI support group. With the help of veterinary technicians, the Defenders delighted a group of therapists, physicians, and patients and their family members, with a presentation that featured a kangaroo, an armadillo, an alligator, a snapping turtle, a fox, and the group’s signature animal, a porcupine. Later, the Defenders—a group of TBI survivors who have been trained in the care of native and exotic animals—received a tour of the Mount Sinai rehabilitation facilities, greeting more patients and staff. The event was organized by Clarisse Quirit, CTRS, Recreational Therapist, and Laura Simpson, Recreational Therapy Intern.