Stacey & Mike's Happy News: Paralyzed 12 Yrs, Implants Now Helping Him Walk

Thanks to Maria in Vancouver for sharing this incredibly inspiring and hopeful story!


A 40-year-old man, named Gert-Jan Oskam, whose legs are paralyzed is able to climb stairs, move over ramps and switch from standing to walking, thanks to implants in his brain and spinal cord that pair with external devices to translate his thoughts into movement.

Gert, suffered a spinal cord injury from a motor bike accident 12 years ago that prevented him from moving his legs.

But he has since received an experimental implant in his spinal cord as part of a clinical trial, which helped him regain his ability to walk. By lifting his heel slightly, which he could do on his own, Gert could trigger an electrical current that stimulated nerves in his spinal cord to allow him to take steps.

His steps are still slow, but doctors say future versions of the technology might someday allow him to move faster and that the system could become commercially available in four to seven years, though it would first need Food and Drug Administration approval.


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