The Post-Rehab Transitions Program (PRTP) began in January 2025 at UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center. Funded through UAB’s Forging Ahead strategic investment initiative, the program extends outpatient rehab care to those who’ve been discharged from Spain Rehabilitation Center (SRC) following a traumatic spinal cord injury.
Darryl Walker is the program’s first peer navigator. In this role, he works closely with patients for 18-24 months after discharge, to help empower them through the adjustments ahead.
Walker was already familiar with the services and staff at SRC, having worked as a Guest Services representative since February 2023. He was stationed at SRC’s main entrance, greeting and assisting hundreds of patients and their care partners every day. Also, Walker had been an SRC patient following a gunshot at age 17, which paralyzed him from the waist down and led to his daily use of a wheelchair.
“I was inspired to accept this new role because it allows me to assist those with a spinal cord injury,” Walker said. “I can relate to them in different ways, knowing that I had to grow with my injury from a teenager to age 36. I love being able to help others in my situation, and I really appreciate the opportunity.”
Ambassador of Hope Award
Prior to this appointment, Walker received SRC’s 2024 Ambassador of Hope Award, which recognizes individuals whose courage and determination inspire hope in people facing the challenge of disability. Walker has persevered through his own recovery journey and continues physical therapy and strength training. He is athletic, actively involved in wheelchair football, and committed to a healthy lifestyle.
PRTP Manager Joan Watkins says Walker is ideal for the first peer navigator position, setting a high standard for others selected in the future. “He never meets a stranger, he’s sincere and encouraging, and he has an outlook on life fueled by positivity, faith, and the love of family and friends,” Watkins said. “Darryl is the kind of person I strive to imitate – real and true to himself while lifting up others to be the best version of themselves despite of, and often because of, their life circumstances.”
Click here to learn more about the care provided by UAB Spain Rehabilitation Center.