Stem cell surgery helps quadriplegic walk again
04/04/2008 10:34 AM
By: Diana Palotas
Paul Rudat has always been a stubborn kid.
"I always said he was the kind of kid you could drop off in a strange
city and he'd find his way home. He's just very resourceful,
Jean Storie said.
Paul always believed he would walk again. And HE made others believe
it, too.
"Initially I absolutely had a little hesitation. But he has a way
about him of talking people into things," said Tami Isherwood, Paul's
physical therapist.
Three years ago at a high school graduation party, a diving accident
left Paul a quadriplegic. The former champion swimmer for Canandaigua
went to Portugal for an experimental surgery last year. They took
stem cells from his nose and placed them in his neck in hopes of
repairing his injured spinal cord. Slowly, Paul is getting the
feeling back in his hands and legs.
"Last year I went on a road trip to Michigan for the day and I got
hot so I put my feet out the window and I could feel the breeze going
through my toes and that was pretty cool," said Paul.
Stem cell surgery helps quadriplegic walk again
Three years ago at a high school graduation party, a diving accident
left Paul a quadriplegic. The former champion swimmer for Canandaigua
went to Portugal for an experimental surgery last year.
The 22-year-old has been using a special brace to help him get up and
go.
"I don't know of any other quadriplegic that has walked in one of
them," said Isherwood.
While it's a milestone, it's not enough for Paul. "I feel really
goofy, like I'm wearing stormtrooper boots."
Paul wants to look down and see his own feet hitting the floor not
the boots on the braces. Paul is getting his therapy twice a week.
The rest of the time he rides a special bike, swims at the Y, lifts
weights and even drives his own car.
He is driving down to Atlanta again for months of intensive therapy
at the Shepherd Center.
"Actually there are only two centers in the entire U.S. that receive
the patients that have had this surgery from Portugal. And they
really know what they're doing," said mom.
Paul doesn't ask why this happened to him on his high school
graduation day. His resourcefulness tells him there is a reason. He
is a creative person.
"I don't like the hand controls in my car. And I want to ride a dirt
bike and I am stubborn. And I will come up with the things and help
everyone else out in my shoes who wants to do it," he said.
Insurance will not cover his intense therapy in Atlanta. If you would
like to help Paul, you can click on this link www.paulspath.
http://news10now.
quadriplegic-
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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