NeuroMove
This organization has already been registered
Someone in your organization has already registered and setup an account. would you like to join their team?Profile owner : k********l@g***l.c*m
Mission Statement
Help NeuroMove Give Spinal Cord Injury Patients a Healthier, More Independent Future NeuroMove is a non-profit training center committed to improving the physical function and quality of life for people with spinal cord injuries through Activity Based Therapy (ABT). While ABT has been successfully practiced in the United States for over 20 years, it remains virtually unknown in Europe. Founders Katelijne and Lars—both spinal cord injury survivors—wanted to offer others in the Netherlands the same life-changing opportunity for recovery they experienced in the U.S. In 2021, they opened NeuroMove in Amsterdam: the first ABT center of its kind in Europe. Today, NeuroMove supports 220 patients every week—with remarkable results. But we’ve reached full capacity—and the need keeps growing. There are currently 153 patients on our waiting list. We now have a unique opportunity to move to a larger facility where we could treat up to 500 people. But we can’t do it alone. As a young foundation, we lack the funds to make the new location suitable and accessible, purchase essential equipment, and train additional physiotherapists. Your donation—no matter the amount—can make a life-changing difference. With your support, we can give more people with spinal cord injuries the chance to live a more active, independent, and healthier life. Donate today—and help us move forward.
About This Cause
What Makes NeuroMove Different? NeuroMove offers Activity Based Therapy (ABT) to individuals with spinal cord injuries—a safe, non-invasive method designed to stimulate neurological recovery below the level of injury. Our specialized physical therapists focus on restoring physical function and mobility, rather than simply teaching patients how to adapt to their disability. The impact of this approach is life-changing: being able to turn over in bed, eat independently, get dressed, sit upright, regain sexual function—or even walk again. These are not just physical achievements; they are milestones that lead to greater independence, well-being, and a hopeful future. Beyond neurological recovery, more than 20 scientific studies have demonstrated that ABT provides significant health benefits and reduces the risk of secondary complications. “Isn’t this already standard in spinal cord injury rehab?” Surprisingly, no. Traditional spinal cord injury rehabilitation has long operated under the belief that recovery from paralysis is impossible. As a result, treatment has focused on compensation strategies—teaching patients to function in a wheelchair, rather than pursuing neurological recovery. But in the last two decades, research has revolutionized this perspective. We now know that the nervous system, even when injured, holds immense capacity for adaptation and repair. This insight led to the development of Activity Based Therapy—a method now widely practiced in the United States, where ABT centers have grown rapidly over the past decade. In Europe, however, this progress has barely begun. NeuroMove is determined to change that. From Patients to Pioneers In 2015, NeuroMove founders Katelijne and Lars both sustained spinal cord injuries. Their rehabilitation focused solely on how to live in a wheelchair—no one mentioned the possibility of recovery. Determined to do more, they traveled to the U.S. and trained at several ABT centers—with remarkable results: Katelijne, paralyzed from the waist down, regained bladder sensation and took her first unaided steps with a walker. Lars, paralyzed from the neck down, learned to sit upright, regained balance, and after just five months of ABT training, could perform assisted standing transfers. Inspired by their own progress, they returned to the Netherlands to create NeuroMove—a place where others can have the same chance at recovery. A Social Enterprise with Sustainable Impact NeuroMove operates as a social enterprise. Our main source of income is insurance reimbursement. However, SCI rehabilitation—and ABT in particular—requires specialized equipment and highly trained therapists, leading to high upfront costs. These investments are not reflected in insurance coverage rates, nor do they account for making a new facility fully accessible. That’s why we rely on a combination of donations, crowdfunding, social investments, subsidies, and grants to build and grow NeuroMove. We’re proud to hold ANBI status, which means donations to NeuroMove are tax-deductible for Dutch donors.