Linda Norah-Davis: Patient and Research Participant

At age 18, shortly after completing high school, Linda Norah-Davis learned she had a spinal cord tumor which resulted in a spinal cord injury. Following her hospitalization, she had a few months of physical therapy in her home state of Louisiana, but that was the extent of her rehabilitation at that time.

Linda went on to graduate from the University of New Orleans, where she majored in political science. She did well there, even assisting other disabled students by transcribing, reading to them and performing other tasks. She attended law school at South Texas College of Law, and during that time she and her husband had two children.

However, Linda hadn’t had therapy since 1974, so she turned to TIRR Memorial Hermann beginning in the late 90s. First, she was an inpatient where she was able to participate in therapy as well as receive other medical assistance with regards to catheterization and pain management.

Once she was discharged from inpatient care, she began having outpatient physical and occupational therapy every couple of years as a way to ensure she could continue to enjoy the life she loved with her family and career.

Linda began participating in research projects in 2014, including serving as a community advisor on a number of research studies at TIRR Memorial Hermann and serving as a peer facilitator of a psychological health promotion study for women with spinal cord injuries.

Linda says she found a new passion when she began participating in research at TIRR Memorial Hermann – she understands how these studies are beneficial for patients.