Tag: Kentucky

Electrical stimulation has promised huge gains for people with paralysis. Now comes the hard part — getting beyond those first steps.

Rob Summers was flat on his back at a rehabilitation institute in Kentucky when he realized he could wiggle his big toe. Up, down, up, down. This was new — something he hadn’t been able to do since a hit-and-run driver left him paralysed from the chest down. When that happened four years earlier, doctors had told him that he would never move his lower body again. Now he was part of a pioneering experiment to test the power of electrical stimulation in people with spinal-cord injuries.

Over 600 Veterans to participate in rehabilitation event co-sponsored by VA and PVA

WASHINGTON – More than 600 military Veterans from across the country, Puerto Rico and Great Britain are in Louisville, Kentucky this week to compete in the 39th National Veterans Wheelchair Games (Wheelchair Games) being held July 11-16.

Until now, it was believed that paralysis resulting from spinal cord injury was irreversible. In her provocative talk, Susan Harkema shares breakthrough research showing amazing functionality of the spinal cord, giving people with paralysis new reason for hope.

Five years of pain can wear anyone down. Ask Josh Heine, and he’ll tell you healing often takes longer than expected.

After a near-fatal car crash in 2007, the 28-year-old Paducah native was left with only limited upper mobility. He had to adapt quickly to life as a quadriplegic, or so people told him.

Now after regaining limited use of his arms and legs, and with several wheelchair marathons under his belt, Heine has modeled for Quickie — a global wheelchair manufacturer — since last May. As a marketing student at West Kentucky Community and Technical College, he’ll begin a national ad campaign in April through wheelchair distributor Sunrise Medical.