Maxine was born in Chicago, the family later moved through Arizona and on to California where Maxine went to San Jose City Col

Meet the Phenomenal Maxine Stewart

And her amazing friend, Cycy Lambertnal

Maxine was born in Chicago, the family later moved through Arizona and on to California where Maxine went to San Jose City College to become a nurse. She also attended another college in Redlands, California to go further toward that same career goal. Like so many students, Maxine changed courses of study from time to time, learning subjects such as cosmetology, real estate, nursing and so forth. . . working in each field for a while... being both a wife and a mother along the way, too. No matter whether she was at her job or working as the trained, caring nursing professional or the mother, the sister, the daughter, who holds most of the family together with loving strength, Maxine gave it her all.

In November of 1994 Maxine was on her way to meet her daughter in southern California, to help her find a new apartment. The wheel of her Mercedes Benz car (a big safe car) suddenly went over a flood berm, and the car began to rock so violently she knew instantly she must get off of the berm or she could go into a very deep canyon beside the road. Maxine's car jumped the curbing of the berm, propelling it into the oncoming lane of traffic which pushed her car back into the flood berm again, and rolled it onto it's roof

During the accident, through all the loud sounds of crashing and crunching metal and shattering glass, this clear thinking, calm lady remembers hearing her neck break in two (it was later diagnosed as a c5, c6, and c7 cervical compound fracture). Maxine, who also loved to dance, play the piano, and sing, tried to move her arms and hands... she could not! She couldn't even turn off the ignition of the car or get to her cell phone either. She knew that her neck was broken and that she must remain calm, so she did, thereby preventing shock from setting in. The man in the car she had collided with came across the street and used her cell phone to call for help.

After she instructed the rescuers how to turn the ignition off, they took her by air ambulance to Loma Linda Hospital Trauma center, the same hospital where Maxine worked on weekends as a psych nurse (her regular duties there were in the labor-delivery department, and she is also trained in neonatology as well).

Like so many of us, Maxine also carried insurance from two different hospitals. One was from a group that she had started with several years earlier in her life (between jobs and marriage). Because she still had that insurance in effect, they insisted that she be brought (even with a tracheotomy tube in her throat) all the way to their hospital. She asked a doctor there if he thought she would be able to move her fingers after the operation, and he said, "You will not be able to walk, move your fingers, and might not even be able to talk.

Maxine knew that if she went to an outstanding specialist to do this tricky kind of spinal cord surgery, it could cost over $13,000.00 just for the doctor alone, not to mention all of the other people in the operating room. It didn't take Maxine long to know that especially since she would not be able to work as a nurse for a long time, if ever... this was not possible!!!

After that, two other doctors did do the operation on her neck. She couldn't swallow and she couldn't even be turned, as she was very unstable since some of her stitches had come loose as they moved her. She needed speech therapy for one month and several other types of rehabilitation to, such as physical therapy and occupational therapy for 60 days. Naturally there was a lot of pain and discomfort at this time, but through it all, even though she was in a hospital for treatment, they were telling her to get out and find an apartment on her own. She had no place to go, no apartment or home of her own. She asked members of her family if they could help, but unfortunately because of their own various life situations at that time there was no one who could be of any assistance to her. She was all alone and she had to count on her own strength, and make some fast and very hard decisions.

A few years prior to that time Maxine had gone to the abilities expo in Anaheim, California in a totally different county than where she found herself now. Maxine is a very organized person who had met Cycy Lambert, the founder of RVL Score. RVL Score is a wonderful, caring group of people in Torrence who take care of some paraplegic and quadriplegic patients (finding them equipment, converted vans, scooters, care givers, housing when necessary, and even teaching the care givers how to do the special care for that particular patient). RVL Score's work is done on a one-on-one basis, and there are times when they might be overwhelmed, which they were when Maxine called. However, Cycy could understand the horrible predicament that Maxine was in and she started to work her special magic! (Cycy's own son Robbie is a 5'11 1/2" c2, c3 and c4 quadriplegic himself... Cycy, a petite 4'11" Hawaiian mother, has carried Robbie by herself when it was necessary.)

Cycy started writing letters, making phone calls, talking to friends of Maxine in Los Angeles, and even calling the Mayor and California's senators and representatives too. Even the white house was a place that received a request on behalf of this lovely lady, who had spent so much time in her life caring for others, and now had no one to return the favor (as the governmental funds were all used up, and nothing new was coming to replace them!!!). Where could Cycy and her group turn to help her new friend? With the help of Cycy and a social worker who knew of the Casa Colina Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Center in Pomona, California, Maxine went there for treatments 5-6 hours per day for 5 weeks until the swelling went down and her speech came back (all of this was covered by Medical).

"I had the only broken neck in 1995 at that facility. All of the other patients were stroke patients or had a brain injury. None of these treatments were similar, obviously!" she said.

The hospital had to release her after only seven weeks. But when you're out you're out, and then suddenly she was in a convalescent hospital where she knew no one and had never been before. She was completely alone. You should see Cycy. Her new friend, who went into action once again, Cycy wears flowers in the hair each day in the Hawaiian garland style called Haku, which means "never ending love". Cycy found a senior citizen building which would also take a patient who would need managed care of this magnitude, as well as finding a superior care agency of managed health for Maxine.

Cycy also found exactly the right type of durable medical equipment (DME) that was for Maxine's particular situation. About a year after the accident, Maxine's beautiful white Bichon Frise dog Archie who had been cared for by a friend who could no longer continue to do so, had to take Archie back to Arizona, and while there, telling many of her friends there about the accident. This is when Tony, who had previously been married to this lovely lady, heard about Maxine's situation for the first time. When he could get her new phone number, he called right away and they talked for 3 1/2 hours. Then, 34 days later, Cycy got a phone call from Maxine saying, "Tony's coming to cook me dinner!", which he did, and they've been together ever since. They've been able to get a big triple-wide mobile home with the help of a friend who Maxine has repaid since renewing her interest in real estate. RVL Score did the help to accomplish the special reconstructions in this home, such as ramps, lowered counters and cabinets, extra-wide halls, and even a roll-in shower. All these Wonderful, Beautiful, Phenomenal people have a very happy ending to this story!!!