It can happen in a second. An injury that can change your whole life.
Twelve-thousand people in the U.S. suffer spinal cord injuries every year, limiting their ability to walk or even move. Now a new device is making a life-changing difference for patients determined not to give up.
For 40-year-old Duane Morrow, playing a game of catch is more than one of life's simple pleasures. Some might call it a miracle.
In 2004, Duane broke his neck playing rugby. He was paralyzed from the chest down. He said, "I was told that I had a 99% chance of never walking again."
But from day one, Duane was an optimist saying, "I was excited that I had a one-percent chance."
He's spent hundreds of exhausting hours in rehab at Atlanta's Shepherd Center, pushing himself, fighting for every step on the treadmill. He added, "More of a workout for the people on my legs, than me."
But Duane says the real breakthrough was the device on his leg. It's a wireless electronic stimulator, or "E-stim."
Physical therapist Beth Pharo says electrodes in the wrap work with a sensor placed in Duane's shoe to stimulate and strengthen his leg muscles.
Duane still has some spasms in his legs and limited feeling in his limbs and body, but now he only needs a wheelchair for long distances. He said, "Ninety-nine percent of the time I'm walking with just one cane."
Step by step, Duane's getting stronger. And he's just getting started. He added, "If you have the right attitude and work ethic, who knows what you can get back."
Therapists at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta say the new electronic stimulation device doesn't work for all patients with paralysis, which is also being used for stroke victims. Many insurance companies don't currently cover the "E-stim" device, which costs about $6,000 per unit.
