UNICEF, Celebrating 70 Years!


UNICEF, Celebrating 70 Years!

It is impossible to imagine our world today without UNICEF protecting those children in need. Seventy years ago UNICEF was born through a unanimous vote at the first session of the UN General Assembly and was funded entirely by voluntary contributions. The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund was initially created in 1946 to help the children of post WWII Europe, and was intended to be a short term relief fund. Yet, as we look back today, at the 190 countries that UNICEF has programs in,  it is nearly impossible to ever think that  UNICEF could have been short term. 



Shortly after all the projects and programs were completed for the children  impacted by post World War II Europe and  many assumed UNICEF would be dissolved.  A permanent representative of Pakistan for the UN, Ahmed Bokhari, argued that  children all over were facing an ongoing spiral of disease and poverty and because of this and so much more, UNICEF’s mission was indispensable. Ahmed Bokhari was right, it may be true that UNICEF began as a temporary experiment 70 years ago to offer relief to the children of Europe, but today, UNICEF has grown to become the world’s  leading agency to offering relief to children. Today, UNICEF actively works to improve the lives of children who struggle with poverty,, health, and education in over 190 countries. Nine-five percent of all UNICEF profits goes directly to the programs and children in struggling countries. UNICEF changes children’s lives every day, making a huge difference, and yet there is so much more that  needs to be done.

The challenges that UNICEF takes on today for children around the world are unrecognizable to the challenges that once existed in 1946. Children face problems with education, preventable diseases, HIV and, child trafficking, and so much more. Time changes so many things, and with time new challenges and opportunity arise. At NTI we want to thank UNICEF for everything that they do for the children all around the world. For their past seventy years of commitment and their many more to come.

NTI wants to remind you that we are committed to you. That time has changed and that there are  many opportunities  waiting for you.  We want to remind you that  we have education opportunities ate our remote call centers and our LandAJob training programs to help you land a job. Not to mention  our working at home job opportunities! If you are on SSI or SSDI and are searching for a job look no further!  Let NTI help you! Check us out at nticentral.org or call us to find out more at (877) 248-8912!

John Hancock and NTI Partner to Empower the United Nations 17 Goals for the Future We Want

Nations 17 Goals for the Future We Want

December 3rd is the United Nations designated International Day for Persons with Disabilities. The theme for this International Day in 2016 is "Achieving 17 Goals for the Future We Want." The UN recently adopted 17 development goals to build an inclusive and equitable world for individuals with disabilities to achieve by 2030. A list of the 17 sustainable goals can be found here:

http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

In the efforts of contributing toward the achievement of these goals, John Hancock partnered with NTI (www.NTICentral.org), to place Americans with severe disabilities to work as customer service representatives.  Through their partnership, John Hancock and NTI are setting a shared vision toward the UN's goals of decent work and economic growth.




According to the United Nations “17 Goals for the Future, We Want,” two significant ones stand out in the business relationship between NTI and John Hancock. In our efforts to support the 4th goal, which is “ensures inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning,” NTI strives to provide training to all work at home employees. NTI leads a three-day course to acclimate set up prepare individuals for success in a call center environment. Candidates also have access to an on-demand online university to increase their educational skillsets. In turn, John Hancock further remotely trains NTI employees in four-week programs to become customer service representatives. The combination of these programs equips the learners with the knowledge and skills to be successful and sustain development and their well-being.







The 8th goal is focused on “promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all”. Not only are John Hancock and NTI establishing creative and sustainable jobs, these jobs provide growth and innovation for John Hancock, as well. By creating positions for Americans with Disabilities, John Hancock is expanding their brand and customer service for their customers. They are seeing not only the altruistic value of working with Americans with Disabilities but the economic growth it provides to their organization.




As NTI builds the relationships with organizations like John Hancock, we can work toward the United Nations "17 Goals for the Future We Want." Together, we celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, #IDPD2016, through the United Nations effort to build a more sustainable and equitable workforce, particularly through the goals of quality work and economic growth.





Mike Sanders is the Marketing Director at NTI and Speaker, with over 20 years experience who places individuals with disabilities back into the workplace. Additionally, he is a Diversity Advocate focusing on Americans with Disabilities and the originator of the Into the Streets program to help connect over 80,000 individuals with volunteer groups and has been implemented in Colleges and Universities nationwide.   

#GlobalGoals #UN #IDPD #UnitedNations #Economics #Growth #Disability #DisabilityAwareness #Goals #JohnHancock #Partners #Customer #Service #Inclusion #Diversity #Equality #Sustain #NTI #Employment #Work #Working #Finance #GlobalDev #America #Accessibility #Adaptive #Ability #Hiring #Jobs

The Golden Ticket - SSA's Ticket to Work Program


Today is the anniversary when congress passed the Social Security Administration’s, Ticket to Work program for individuals who are on SSI or SSDI. For seventeen years the SSA has had the Ticket to Work program act as the centerpiece in all their initiatives to improving individuals with disabilities lives by finding good jobs, “good careers, and better self-supporting futures.”  Ticket to work provides free and voluntary programs for people with disabilities to receive career counseling, job placement, and ongoing employment support services. It is the stepping stone program to helping individuals with disability reach their job goals.


Ticket to work is a good fit for people who are looking to  thrive in the workplace, for individuals who want to improve their earnings,a and commit to a long term  career. These goals can be achieved by contacting one of SSA’s employment  Networks, like NTI!

As a person with disabilities who has has been receiving SSI since 2008. I have spent more of my career in volunteer positions, or internships as I tried hopelessly to reach my job goals. I didn’t know about the Ticket to Work program as I spent years hoping I could somehow get that right job  through unpaid internships and volunteer work. I know the challenges are vast, I have experienced them first hand, and I thought I tried everything. But, I didn’t, I didn’t try SSA’s Ticket to Work. Who knows? Maybe if I did, the road to NTI would have been shorter, less strenuous and exhausting. Yet, as I sit here as one of NTI’s content marketing associates a part of me still believes I managed to find my ticket, as hard as it was.  The Social Security Administration  has programs waiting for you right now, like NTI, all ready, and waiting to help you reach your job goals.

NTI has your Golden Ticket. We want to help you get back into the workforce and reach your job goals. If you are on SSI or SSDI and you’re reading this you now know about the SSA Ticket to work program and NTI’s  instrumental part in it.  Don’t hold back, try everything there is and reach your job goals today because you deserve it all! Reach out to NTI at nticentral.org/learnmore or call us at (877) 248-8912! You can cash your ticket right here!





Jaclyn is a Marketing Content Writer for NTI.  She not only lives the story, she writes about it to inspire others. Currently, Jaclyn just recently attained her MFA in Creative Writing Nonfiction at Columbia University and the focus of her thesis is titled "Wings A Memoir" discussing the evolution of herself an disability.

Happy Birthday to Def Leppard’s Rick Allen!



“I joined the group on my fifteenth birthday, and we already seen a lot together, we’ve grown up together, and we’ve had enough setbacks for us to realize that we are really strong as a team. And, that is the one thing that kept everybody together, and it still keeps everybody together now.”

Rick Allen AKA “The Thunder God” inspires people everyday by his story. Yes, it’s true, he lost his left arm in a car accident on New Year’s Eve in 1985, about seven years after he joined Def Leppard. But Rick Allen didn’t let the amputation of his arm let that stop him from continuing to be part of the band. In fact, Rick Allen gave himself little to no time to pity himself or bringing on a heartbreak. He dove straight back into work and on August 16th 1986 he returned to the stage.

A drummer keeps the rhythm going, anyone who listens to Def Leppard’s music can always hear Rick Allen playing, regardless if there is a guitar slide or Def Leppard’s singer Joe Elliot cranking out the lyrics.

After Rick Allen’s car accident and loss of his arm an electronic drum set was created. Afterwards, whether is was from pure resilience, motivation on keeping their minds on what they wanted, or true passion Def Leppard went on to their most commercially successful part of their band career. Today, Def Leppard has sold more than 100 million records worldwide. Their album Hysteria, which came out in 1987 being their first major hit album truly brought them to the spotlight. They have achieved great things, they are one of only five rock bands in the U.S. with two original studio albums selling over ten million, yet their greatest achievement to date is that they’ve stayed together through thick and thin no matter what life throws at them.

NTI may not be a rock band or someone that you have known since fifteen years old, but we will stay with you through thick and thin with the job search. In fact, we want to help you get back on that stage, put yourself out there and be a rock star like Rick Allen. We got your back, we have job opportunities for you, and we are willing to try our very best to make it work. If you are on SSI or SSDI take the plunge, let NTI be your rock band and help you find a great job! Visit us at nticentral.org or reach us at (877) 248-8912 today!

#DefLeppard #Music #Amputee #Drums #Rock #Rockband #Legend #Accident #Drummer #Zildjian #drummer #percussion #drumsticks #drumming #drumsolo #hardrock #drumkit #Photograph #Rocket #PourSomeSugaronMe #Hysteria #RockofAges #adaptive #HappyBirthday #English #Adrenalize #OnTour #Slang #Pyromania #England

Epilepsy Awareness Month - Learn about Lenox Gastaut Syndrome!




Today is Lenox Gastaut Syndrome Awareness Day! LGS is a severe form of epilepsy. Individuals with the disorder may most commonly experience tonic, atonic, and atypical absence seizures. LGS is very difficult to treat because it is resistant to many of the anti-seizure medications. 2-5 percent of children account for having LGS, yet they are extremely well known in the medical community, especially by both pediatric doctors and adult neurologists because of the complexity of the syndrome. Intellectual development disorders commonly follow LGS, in addition to behavioral problems and cognitive dysfunctions.
LGS is one specific form of epilepsy, one that people should be aware of because awareness improves lives, even if anti-seizure medications cannot make a difference. We have had tremendous people in our society who had epilepsy.  They are proof that anything is possible!
Our very own 28th president, Teddy Roosevelt was epileptic. A born leader, he was a writer, soldier, historian, explorer, and the governor of New York. Even though he was epileptic, had poor eyesight, and had debilitating asthma Theodore Roosevelt embraced everything life could give him.
The well-known Charles Dickens has medical professionals marvel at him today with his cunning accuracy and observations on epilepsy.  His clear descriptions in his novels are beyond his time. This is no coincidence, Dickens’ suffered from epilepsy, and by creating characters in his novels he was educating the world of the debilitating seizures that people suffer from. During Dickens’ time of writing, he recorded the nature of epileptic seizures, causes, and possible provocations, and most interestingly, their consequences.
The one and only Prince was born epileptic.  Even though Prince had his epilepsy there his whole life, the possibility of having a seizure always in the shadows, Prince became one of the most accomplished artists of our time because he had talent and believed he could. His art as a singer, musician, producer, and art innovator has contributed endlessly to how music exists today.
Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer during the late Romantic period. Some of his works are still the most popular pieces of classical music today. He made lasting impressions as a conductor internationally in Europe and even the United States. For his time, this is quite remarkable as Tchaikovsky coped with epilepsy. Still Tchaikovsky managed to not only create something beautiful, but to deliver it to multiple continents!
NTI is wants to ask you, how do you want to contribute your time? Embrace the world like Teddy Roosevelt and be a leader and grab a hold of that new job! Educate, and take on the world like Dickens’ and marvel the minds of the future or be like Prince and take on the abstract with what you have to offer!  Be aware of what you can do, just like LGS awareness day. The jobs are waiting here at NTI, waiting for someone like you to show the rest of the world that anything is possible if you just believe. Do the impossible like Tchaikovsky, and build something beautiful and new in your life today! So if you are on SSI or SSDI reach out to us at nticentral.org!
#Seize #Seizure #Piano #President #History #Guitarist #Artist #PurpleRain #ripprince #classicmusic #classicalmusic #orchestra #lgsawareness  #seizetheday #epilepsyawarness  #seizureawareness #eftx #eftxphotochallenge #purple #Epilepsy #Neurology #Shaking #Seizures #tonic #Awareness #CharlesDickens #TeddyRoosevelt #Prince #Tchaikovsky #LGS

“Make learning stick and last a lifetime!” Come Together! Learn with us! It’s Family Literacy Month!

November 1st is the start of Family Literacy month. All across the country organizations will be coming together to host family learning events. Family literacy is in motion when two generations or more—extended family—are actively learning together.

The president and founder of the National Center of Families Learning, Sharon Darling, stated, “When parents and children come together to learn, relationships among family members, neighbors and communities are all strengthened. Educators and families across the country invest time—from hours to moments everyday—to learn together and make real-world connections that make learning stick, and last a lifetime.”
It doesn’t quite matter what you’re learning about as a family and community. The sky is the limits from the sciences, to financial studies, to reading and history—literacy and education has no restrictions on where your mind can go!
NTI is excited about Family Literacy Month. We believe in coming together as a community, and we especially believe in #learning and education! That is why NTI is excited about the opportunity we have for you and your family. On December 3, right after Family Literacy Month, NTI is asking you to come together again for International Disability Day and our #31Nights event at the Prudential Center in Boston! Just like Family Literacy Month there will be learning and education opportunities, music, inspiring people to meet, and tremendous speakers. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity NTI has waiting for you! For more information visit 31nights.nticentral.org.
NTI aims to educate people with disabilities of all the opportunities and possibilities that exist out there! Want to learn more? Are you looking for a job or in need of job training? Are you on SSI or SSDI? Reach out to NTI today, at nticentral.org we are ready to come together for you, to help you find that great opportunity.

Take a shot and Raise Awareness to the World!


Today is the 5th World Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Day! The aim of today is to raise awareness, and understanding of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus everywhere. Spina bifida is a neural tube birth defect that affects 1,500-2,000 babies in the United States each year. Currently, there are 166,000 individuals who live with Spina Bifida. Spina bifida occurs within the first 28 days of pregnancy. The infant’s spinal column fails to develop properly, which results in varying forms of permanent damage to the spinal cord and nervous system. Individuals who grow up and live with spina bifida may encounter obstacles such as poor ability to walk, problems with bladder, or bowel control, #hydrocephalus, a tethered spinal cord, and latex allergy.
Hydrocephalus is a condition when an excessive amount of cerebrospinal fluids builds up in the brain cavities. It is a common condition among individuals with spina bifida and is treated with a shunt in order to relocate the fluid to another part of the body because there is a great possibility of brain damage.
NTI is humbled to say that Ryan Martin, a member of the spina bifida community and founder of the Ryan Martin Foundation will be speaking at the #31Nights event on December 3, AKA International Disability Day, and the day NTI will be showcased at the Prudential Center in Boston!

NTI can’t wait to hear everything Ryan has to say. Ryan’s experiences in life inspire people everyday. As a young child with spina bifida, Ryan also had his legs amputated by two years old. Yet, when he discovered basketball at the age of twelve he fell in love and didn’t let anything or anyone stop him from envisioning the future he saw for himself playing the sport. Now Ryan is a professional wheelchair basketball player, and the founder of his own foundation, which carries the mission to inspire and empower individuals with disabilities through sports and education. Ryan understands the challenges people face, he knows that it can be exhausting, yet he also knows how wonderful it feels when you achieve your dreams.
NTI believes that we can help you take your first step towards your dreams and feel wonderful. We want to be there, empower you, and offer job training if you would like it. We have jobs for you that give you the ability to work from your very own home!  We believe you can take the first step towards you dream just like Ryan Martin accomplished his one task at a time. If you are on SSI or SSDI let NTI be there for you, to help you change your world for the better, and empower yourself to be the person you always envisioned you’ll be! Visit us at nticentral.org or call us at (877) 248-8912.
 



Jaclyn is a Marketing Content Writer for NTI.  She not only lives the story, she writes about it to inspire others. Currently, Jaclyn just recently attained her MFA in Creative Writing Nonfiction at Columbia University and the focus of her thesis is titled "Wings A Memoir" discussing the evolution of herself an disability.

A Call for Speakers! Boston Event Honoring NTI and Americans with Disabilities!


Press Release - Call for Speakers

For Release Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at 12:30 a.m. EDT

[Boston, MA] - A Call for Speakers! Boston Event Honoring NTI and Americans with Disabilities!



Summary
A call for speakers is taking place for a disability event in Boston honoring NTI, the leaders in placing Americans with Disabilities back into the workplace.  The 31 Nights of Lights Gala Event at the Prudential Building will occur on December 3rd, 2016 from 4:30 to 7:30 PM. The call for disability related topics and speakers will occur through 7 PM on October 30th.

A call for speakers is occurring for the 31 Nights of Lights Event on December 3rd, 2016 from 4:30 to 7:30 to honor NTI in their achievement placing Americans with Disabilities in the workplace nationwide. The call for speakers will occur through 7 PM on October 30th. The topic of the event focuses on disability in the workplace.

Selected speakers will have the opportunity to speak for 10-15 minutes regarding disability rights, assistive technologies, and advocacy on behalf of persons with disabilities. Advocates, researchers, and adaptive athletes are encouraged to apply.

The event will host a variety of disability speakers, Paralympians, autograph sessions, adaptive demonstrations, artwork, and entertainment. Details surrounding the event are on the 31 Nights event website at 31Nights.NTICentral.org.

Submissions Due: October 30th, 2016
Notifications on Acceptance: November 4th, 2016

Information regarding the event, as well as the sponsor information, can are on the website 31Nights.NTICentral.org

Event and media questions can be directed to Michael Sanders at msanders(at)nticentral(dot)org or 617-787-4426 x331

About National Telecommuting Institute
National Telecommuting Institute, NTI, are leaders in placing Americans with Disabilities back into the workplace, Founded in 1995 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, NTI pursued a mission to identify and develop work-at-home jobs for home-based Americans with a disability. Since that time, NTI has successfully provided trained work-at-home employees to some of the largest U.S. government agencies, Fortune 500 companies and to smaller businesses to outsource and expand their customer service and technical support operations.

Visit nticentral.org/learnmore for more information about how NTI assists Americans with Disabilities.

Contact:
Michael Sanders
National Telecommuting Institute
69 Canal Street Suite#3
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: +1-617-787-4426 Ext 331
NTICentral.org

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Keywords: disability, speaking opportunity, awareness, disabled, technology, tech, speakers, event, Boston, Prudential Center, NTI, NTICentral, LandAjob, Wheelchair, Exoskeleton, Paralympian

Press Release - NTI Honored at 31 Nights of Light Event


Press Release - 31 Nights of Light Event Event

For Release Tuesday, October 18, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. EDT

[Boston, MA] - NTI Honored at 31 Nights of Light Event


Of 22,000 non-profit organizations, National Telecommuting Institute, NTI, was chosen to be honored at the Prudential's 31 Nights of Light Event for their achievements in transitioning Americans with Disabilities back into the workplace. The event will be held at the Prudential Tower in Boston, MA on the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities; December 3rd from 4:30-7:30PM.

The 31 Nights of Light Gala Event will showcase a series of entertainment, autograph sessions, technology demonstrations, presentations by dignitaries, and appearances by Paralympians as well as Cybathlon competitors. This event will offer the experience for Americans with Disabilities to learn more about assistive technologies, adaptive athletes and the services that NTI offers nationwide.

Bringing together Americans with Disabilities and organizations in the community, the 31 Nights Event allows attendees to meet representatives from nonprofit organizations, including NTI, who wish to inform and honor persons with disabilities.  

Free and open to the public, the event is also open to the media.

Information regarding the Event as well as the Sponsor Information can be found here:
 


Event and media questions can be directed to Michael Sanders at msanders@nticentral.org or 67-787-4426 x332

About National Telecommuting Institute

National Telecommuting Institute, NTI was founded in 1995 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, NTI pursued a mission to identify and develop work-at-home jobs for home-based Americans with a disability. Since that time, NTI has successfully provided trained work-at-home employees to some of the largest U.S. government agencies, Fortune 500 companies and to smaller businesses to outsource and expand their customer service and technical support operations.
Visit  www.nticentral.org/learnmore for more information about how NTI assists Americans with Disabilities.

Contact:
Michael Sanders
National Telecommuting Institute
69 Canal Street Suite#3
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: +1-617-787-4426 Ext 331


Remembering Dennis Byrd

"I really have loved coaching football and working with kids, talking about the lessons I've learned as an athlete and the journey as someone with a disability" ~Dennis Byrd



Only days after his 50th birthday, former Jets defensive end and defensive tackle, Dennis Byrd died tragically in a head on collision near his Oklahoma home this past weekend.  He was best known of the day his career came to an end when he collided with teammate Scott Mersereau while trying to sack the Chiefs quarterback Dave Krieg.  His head first collision caused Byrd to suffer a fractured C-5 vertebra and sustained damage to his spinal cord paralyzing him.  At the time, doctors didn't think Byrd would ever be able to walk again. 

Months later, after extensive physical therapy, Byrd was able to walk again, but never returned to football.  His jersey was retired and no one has worn the number 90 since. On September 3rd, 1993 he walked to midfield at the Meadowlands to serve as an honorary captain and during the halftime ceremony was presented with a trophy for the Most Inspirational Player Award which is now known as the Dennis Byrd Award.  His story was later coauthored in an autobiography entitled, "Rise and Walk: The Trial and Triumph of Dennis Byrd" and later made into a movie. He went across the country sharing his story and now, others will tell the story for him so his legacy lives on.


You never know when tragedy could happen to you or a loved one.  In the case of Byrd, he was emerging as one of the top defensive lineman in the NFL, seconds later he had a disability.  This is very similar to the lives of so many people we help at NTI.  A disability interrupts their lives, but if they want to get back on track and back to work again, NTI can help.  If you know of someone on disability who would live to get back to work, contact us at www.nticentral.org/learnmore.   
 

#Jets #JetsFan #jetup #nyjets #jetnation #ganggreen #nfl #football #newyorkjets #Meadowlands #LetsGoJets #Paralysis #Spinalcord #Injury #Defense #Sack #Tackle #Birthday #RiseandWalk #Jersey #Retire #Death #DennisByrd #Byrd #NYJ #legend #remember #riseandwalk #Hero

Hindsight 20/20! We all have a vision!

Hindsight 20/20! We all have a vision!
 


Today is blind/sight day! It’s special because everyone can participate, and ask themselves how they see the world. I like to think that if I didn’t lose my eye-sight at thirteen from amblyopia; an unfortunate circumstance from a complicated brain infection and cancer treatment, that I would still appreciate the world around me as much as I do today. But, I can confidently say with my vision loss my eyes have been opened wider. I now can say that I get to experience the world around me with more clarity than before, even though my eye-sight is not perfect.

When my vision was unimpaired I never thought twice about being able to see text on a paper, or whether I would be able to recognize my friend standing across the hall. Everything was a given, beautiful and glorious in that way. Today, I know not to expect to see text on a paper or recognize anyone in the hall, even though I do have sight. The sight that remains, I treasure like the white clouds that still stand out to me in the sky, but my vision isn’t strong enough to see the things I expected to see when I used to glance around a room, like something simple like my digital alarm clock. That is why I believe there is a day specially named blind/sight day because even though I may be legally blind, seeing only the shapes and colors that surround me. I maintain a vision of what my world is like, which is as much a part of my day as it is for everyone else who can see and who cannot.
 

NTI has a vision too. We believe at NTI that having vision for something goes further than having perfect 20/20 vision. We know of the opportunities out there; the resilience, and work ethic that comes with someone who has a vision. We know how to improve the workplace with assistive technology whether its magnifiers or screen readers. We believe sight comes in all different forms.  Today is blind/sight day around the world and at NTI. We want to make it the beginning for you to find a new job in the workplace if you are on disability.  Come, have a vision with NTI, make the change, and believe with us that there isn’t just one way you can see the world. Let us help you find that new beginning! Visit us at NTIcentral.org!






Jaclyn is a Marketing Content Writer for NTI.  She not only lives the story, she writes about it to inspire others. Currently, Jaclyn is working on attaining her MFA in Creative Writing Nonfiction at Columbia University and the focus of her thesis is titled "Wings A Memoir" discussing the evolution of herself an disability.

Happy Birthday to John Mellencamp!


By Mary E. Hart

Happy 65th birthday to legendary musician John Cougar Mellencamp, who goes by John Mellencamp these days. Did you know that Mellencamp was one of three babies who were born with spina bifida at the Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis? In an odd coincidence, October is also Spina Bifida Awareness Month. 



If you don’t know what spina bifida is, it quite literally means “split spine”. This birth defect occurs before birth and happens when the spinal column stays open instead of closing as it should, often leading to the spinal cord growing outside of the body. If surgery isn’t performed (either because the spina bifida hasn’t been detected or surgery won’t help), spina bifida can cause paralysis, which would require the use of a wheelchair.

At the National Telecommuting Institute (NTI), we work to help Americans with disabilities, including those with spina bifida who use a wheelchair or don’t, to find a work-from-home job that will be suitable for them and where they can succeed and know that they’re contributing to society. 



In the case of Mellencamp, he and the two other babies all underwent a first-ever 18-hour neurosurgery for spina bifida at Riley Hospital. One of the babies died during the surgery; one lived til 14 and then passed on; and Mellencamp’s was a success. In fact, he didn’t even know he had had surgery as an infant until he was nine or ten years old and a child asked him about the large scar on the back of his neck. Mellencamp asked his parents about it and was told he had an operation when he was a baby. He learned more about spina bifida as he was older.

A few years ago, Mellencamp got the chance to meet the neurosurgeon that performed his life-saving surgery: Dr. Robert Heimburger. Dr. Heimburger remembered Mellencamp’s surgery as it was the one of the first surgeries they’d done for spina bifida.

Mellencamp will be performing at the Hanover Theater in Worcester, MA on October 11th and we hope his concert is a hit!



If you would like to get involved with NTI, feel free to connect with us on our website at www.nticentral.org/learnmore

BIO: Mary E. Hart is the Digital Communications Specialist for NTI. She is also a freelance writer, editor and content strategist, specializing in writing copy that will help you reach the right people at the right time. Previously, she worked in Demand Generation marketing for UBM Tech and Ziff Davis Enterprise. In her spare time, Mary is working on the next great ghost novel.

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