Carlson Chiswo Foundation

The Carlson Chiswo Foundation is a Zimbabwean non-profit organization formed in February 2014 to benefit Spinal Cord Injury survivors and their families. The organisation was formed following a devastating injury to Carlson in a motor vehicle accident on 30 July 2011. This left Carlson with a C6/C7 incomplete spinal cord injury. This level of injury results in limited hand functionality. The path to recovery has been long and expensive and insightful. During hospitalisation he developed pressure sores which added a different dimension to his rehabilitation and recovery challenge. Carlson was hospitalised in Zimbabwe and South Africa in a bid to reverse the effects of the debilitating injury. The costs of this recovery were phenomenal and prompted Carlson to think of people that may experience this kind of injury and may not be fortunate enough to have the kind of support and resources he accessed. There is therefore dire need to provide support and access to affordable therapy and adaptive equipment. In researching the state of care treatment and rehabilitation of SCI survivors in Zimbabwe and abroad Carlson came across information on how the late Professor Levy had set out assist spinal cord injury in Zimbabwe and the Region. Carlson realised in order to achieve this goal a foundation be set up that will mobilise resources which will go towards the initiatives of assisting spinal cord injury survivors to receive care and necessary therapy at affordable cost and to raise awareness on the challenges and that the injury naturally brings to the survivor and their families.