Stay In Step recognizes the importance of rehabilitation services and acknowledges some clients’ financial challenges. Insurance coverage may be insufficient, or clients may lack insurance altogether. Our commitment is to make rehabilitation affordable for individuals impacted by a neurological disorder.
Stay In Step offers a supplementary discount to assist those paying out of pocket. Appointments are pre-scheduled for the entire month, and payments are settled at the month’s end. The supplemental discount is applied once all appointments for the month are tallied. Refer to the chart below for the discounted rate per visit hour.
To schedule an appointment, please get in touch with our office via phone or email at sis@stayinstep.org.
Sergeant Jesse Karns was a native of Collinsville, Oklahoma. He served in the U.S. Army from 2007-2010. While completing training as a Ranger Special Operations Combat Medic, he suffered injuries from a tragic accident which left him as a quadriplegic at the young age of 23.
Following his accident he received treatment and lengthy rehabilitation therapy at James A. Haley Veterans Hospital. Jesse’s accident and life-altering condition brought him to a new life and home in Tampa, Florida. He developed friendships and was beloved by a multitude of caregivers, friends and loved ones who supported his recovery and transition to an ultimately independent lifestyle.
His condition and new life took him far beyond the walls of James A. Haley and into the arms of his new family and circle of support. Caregivers and devoted friends Nathan Nelson, Devin Davis, and Phil Rustenberghe became part of a nuclear family family for Jesse. LTC(Ret) Andy Burch and his wife Melissa and their son Aaron were brought into Jesse’s life upon his arrival at James A. Haley and were considered by Jesse to be his most beloved surrogate family, protectors, and supporters and they loved and cherished him as their own.
Jesse maintained friendships with the family of John and Debbie Wolfe along with brothers Matthew Wolfe and wife Amanda, Kendal Wolfe and sister Gayle Wolfe from his childhood in Collinsville, Oklahoma and cherished their continued friendship and support following his accident and into his new life in Tampa. Jesse’s brother Michael was the most dear and beloved by Jesse. While Jesse was cared for by so many, he took care of Michael and was his avid protector and provider.
Jesse was a passionate and committed young man. He believed in all things intellectual and was an avid student and researcher of issues he felt strongly about. He was an A student in his studies of Sociology at Hillsborough Community College. He enjoyed any deep debate or discussion related to the ecology and betterment of our environment. He was a staunch advocate of living a vegan lifestyle and not leaving a “footprint” on our planet. Jesse was quite sophisticated at his young age and loved good wine, fine cigars, and healthy eating which he shared with his friends and family alike.
His generosity of himself to those he loved had no limits. His true hope was to be able to help and provide for anyone less fortunate than himself. He enjoyed his life fully and without limits or fear. Jesse knew his physical limitations but felt it his duty to not surrender to them whenever possible. Jesse’s love of pushing the envelope and never accepting any situation as impossible was supported fully by his circle of support. He saw no limits for what he could accomplish, it was only an exercise in logistics. He did tandem sky dives and obtained his scuba certification, all as a quadriplegic.
He inspired everyone he came into contact with to live every day without judgement, fear, or insecurities but with joy and reckless abandon. Jesse was tragically killed at the young age of 27 along with his friend and roommate Trevell in a fatal car accident on March 10, 2012. His death has left a void that can never be filled for so many. His legacy was to leave everyone he knew and loved with the drive to never accept limits, always be true to one’s beliefs and one’s self, and to give selflessly to those in need and less fortunate with compassion, kindness, and joy. May we all pray to be the human being he inspired and taught us to be.
In memory of her son, Debbie Wolfe established the Jesse Karns Stay In Step Memorial Scholarship Fund, which was used for 2 separate scholarships to enable SCI patients without insurance or resources to receive intensive physical therapy at Stay In Step.
