Michelle Kuri

Honoring the Life of Michelle Kuri


For much of her life, Michelle Kuri was an upbeat and lively woman. Michelle suffered from cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder that left her without the ability to speak and therefore unable to communicate about her pain when she developed spasticity after the age of 29. As she got older, her pain got worse and doctors were unable to offer any answers or assistance because Michelle could not verbally tell them where the pain was coming from. After she passed away in 2008, her mother, Elisheva Placeres Nawrocik, founded the Michelle Kuri Foundation.

Through her experiences with Michelle, she learned to understand the difficulties nonverbal and nonambulatory individuals suffering from neurological disorders or traumatic brain injuries face when trying to talk about their pain so that they can get the medical assistance they need. In fact, the number one communication difficulty these afflicted individuals have is expressing pain.

The Michelle Kuri Foundation was created so that these individuals’ silent voices are clearly heard. We offer workshops, specialized medical networks, and other services to educate society, practitioners, and families of those suffering from any neurological affliction or traumatic brain injury. If you have a loved one who is nonverbal and nonambulatory or would like more information about how to give a voice to this demographic, please come to one of our workshops or contact us and we’d be happy to speak with you.