Sherry is a retired teacher who spent some summers being a teacher of teachers, providing professional development in Language Arts curriculum. After retiring and moving to San Diego, she worked with the Escondido Creek Conservancy teaching science to students through classroom lessons, live-insect labs, and guided naturalist hikes along Escondido Creek.  

Wanting to address her symptomatic muscle tightness through stretching, she enrolled in a yoga teacher training program. Despite passing with a 97% score, she continues to practice yoga and still experiences difficulty releasing the deep interior muscles of her back and hip flexors. To remain deeply in touch with the signals of her body, she maintains a daily practice of exercise, meditation, and relaxing in the jacuzzi. 

Sherry began to research and explore devices to improve walking. She experienced the Dnsys exoskeleton and was excited by how it displaced weight from the hips while simultaneously lifting her thighs making it easier to walk.  Sherry wanted to share these benefits with others. She became a SPF Ambassador to support, connect with, and bring encouragement of others living with HSP.

She explored additional technologies—including the Mollii suit for whole-body spasticity and pain relief, and the Cionic Neural Sleeve to assist with walking and reduce foot drop. Sherry wondered if using both of these electrical stimulations regularly was healthy- using the Mollii (every other day) and the CIONIC Neural Sleeves (daily). So, she asked an electrical stimulation specialist (Dr. Kyle Ryan) and he said the Mollii suit and the Cionic are great for you!  He watched her walk with the CIONIC and said he could see her foot lifting when she walked.

Sherry integrated these experiences- along with insights from SPF TALKS, and neuro physical therapy sessions - to create                HSP-sandiego.com, a resource designed to support and connect others on their HSP journey.  To help strengthen this community,  please contribute by sharing your local doctors who provide HSP-related treatments and surgeries.  We'd also love to hear about  devices and therapies you've tried and found helpful.