"To everyone's disbelief.. I was able to stand independently 3rd day after turned it on."
An epidural stimulator.. something like this--implanted over his spinal cord..
Rob Summers-- a promising baseball player.. paralyzed from his mid-chest down.. in a 2006 hit and run..
He scouted out the most promising rehab available-- "Being an athlete -- I knew. There's only one way to get there.. through determination.. focus.. setting my goals higher than anyone could believe."
He found that here at Frazier Rehab -- with a team looking to hit a home-run in spinal cord research. "This is the first time this has been used in combination with locomoter training," says Dr. Susan Harkema, university of louisville.
Susan Harkema brought locomoter training to UOFL and Fraizer Rehab in 2005--
The theory -- with specific repetitive movement -- it re-teaches the spinal cord how to walk --
We've shared some incredible successes... patients like Chase Ford with limited sensation -- but paralyzed..
Eventually taking steps..
Rob.. with complete motor loss-- tried it without success-- "However, there's another component of it.. this is where the epidural stimulation comes in," says Dr. Harkema.
Implanted.. December-- 2009.. with the idea.. the hope-- "In order to get the spinal cord to a physiological state where it can function.. in order to stand or step.. we needed to stimulate those neurons."
Something the brain can no longer do -- with this device -- "It was incredible," says Summers.
First standing without assistance.. up to an hour.. "It's the combination of the stimulation and the intense training," says Harkema.
And the incredible continues-- "After 7 months of training is when his ability emerged," added Harkema.
"Being able to move my toes, ankles, knees on command... it was absolutely incredible.. there are not enough words to describe how I felt. At one point it was just a dream and now it's reality and now I'm thinking literally the next step," says Summers.
