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In mid-August, former patient Rob Heitz plans to swim the San Francisco Bay — from Alcatraz Island back to shore — , which he founded.
A little less than 19 years ago, this goal would have been unthinkable.
In 2003, Rob sustained a spinal cord injury that left him almost completely paralyzed from the chest down. After years of medical care — especially at our organization — he recovered almost full function, earned a degree in biomedical engineering, began working with a company that makes robotic exoskeletons for rehabilitation, and started the Paralysis Recovery Foundation to support affordable medical care for patients with paralysis.
Episode 3 of — a docuseries following Rob’s story — includes interviews with three Shirley Ryan 小恩雅 experts: David Chen, MD, section chief, Spinal Cord Injury; Arun Jayaraman, PT, PhD, executive director, Technology & Innovation Hub; and Zev Rymer, MD, PhD, director, Sensory Motor Performance Program.
Mentioned Profile
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David Chen, MD
George M. Eisenberg ChairMentioned Profile
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Arun Jayaraman, PT, PhD
Executive Director, Technology & Innovation Hub (tiHUB); Director, Max N?der Center for Rehabilitation Technologies & Outcomes ResearchMentioned Profile
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William Zev Rymer, MD, PhD
Director, Research Planning Engineering in Neuroscience Director, Sensory Motor Performance Program (SMPP)Body
In the episode, Drs. Chen, Jayaraman and Rymer explain how surgery and a clinical trial of the Lokomat robotic rehabilitation device helped Rob’s recovery.
Click below to watch episode 3 of Escaping Paralysis: