Journalist Sofia Mannos faces complex rehabilitation; donations welcomed

Broadcast journalist Sofia Mannos, whose enterprising career was unexpectedly cut short by a bad fall in late 2014, continues to rehabilitate with help from her family, friends and colleagues. But now she urgently needs help. Mannos, an award-winning journalist and multilingual Euro-American, devoted more than 30 years to a career that spanned United Press International, Associated Press, CNN and Voice of Russia. At the National Press Club, she was an active member of the International Correspondents Committee and Broadcast Committee.

Mannos was injured in a fall in her Washington, D.C., home on Oct., 9, 2014. She suffered a C4 to C6 cord contusion that left her a tetraplegic. Through intense therapy she is able to walk with minimal assistance if someone guards from falling, stand from her manual wheelchair when it is secured against a wall with supervision, and sit in her wheelchair from standing. Her hands are in worse shape, but she is working diligently on daily tasks like eating, drinking and brushing her teeth.

Despite her accomplishments, Mannos still requires 24/7 care and a special wheelchair that she can tilt every 20 minutes to relieve the pressure on her spinal cord. Regarding the latter, an online fundraising account has been created for those who would like to contribute. . As of this writing, more than $6,000 has been raised by friends and supporters toward the fundraising $40,000 goal.