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In mid-August, former patient Rob Heitz plans to swim the San Francisco Bay — from Alcatraz Island back to shore — to raise funds and awareness for the Paralysis Recovery Foundation, 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 Escaping Paralysis — a docuseries following Rob’s story — includes interviews with three Shirley Ryan AbilityLab 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
David Chen, MD
George M. Eisenberg ChairMentioned Profile
Arun Jayaraman, PT, PhD
Executive Director, Technology & Innovation Hub (tiHUB); Director, Max Näder Center for Rehabilitation Technologies & Outcomes ResearchMentioned Profile
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: