[ad_1]
A North Carolina teenager is fighting to walk again after a rare injury that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Devin Gildner, 19, was taking surf lessons in Seal Beach, Calif., While visiting his grandparents in July, when he felt painful in the back while He was lying on a surfboard.
By the time he was taken back to his home, Gildner had no feeling in his legs and could no longer walk, reported the Orange County Register.
He was transported to the hospital, where the doctors were traumatized by his condition.
Finally, after days of research, Gildner has learned that his myelopathy, a rare spinal cord injury, primarily affects novice surfers who are not used to arching.
The disease deprives the spinal cord of oxygen and can, in some cases, permanently leave people paralyzed.
Scroll down for video
Devin Gildner, age 19, from North Carolina, was taking surf lessons in California in July when he felt pain in his back. Pictured: Gildner during a surf lesson on July 6 before the start of the incident
After several hours, Gildner could no longer feel his legs and was transported by ambulance to the hospital. An MRI revealed no trauma to the spinal cord and no infection causing paralysis. Pictured left and right: Gildner undergoes physical therapy
Gildner was raised in Bakersfield – about 115 km north of Los Angeles – before his family moved to Black Mountain, North Carolina, and he remembers watching his father and uncles surf.
As a graduation gift before attending Warren Wilson College in the fall on a football scholarship, his parents booked him with his younger brother, Liam, 14, on a return trip to California.
Gildner and his brother have enrolled in surfing classes and that is during this first occasion that the incident occurred.
At first, Gildner thought nothing of the pain in his back. But he began to realize that something was wrong when he could not feel his legs anymore.
"It was sort of a moment of panic," he told the Orange County Register. "It was like:" It's weird. " I could not feel my legs. I started to panic.
Gildner was transported by ambulance to the Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, where doctors performed an MRI.
The results showed no trauma to the spinal cord and no infection.
The doctors were surprised by what could have caused paralysis and investigated his condition for days, according to the Orange County Register.
The doctors studied his condition for days before he was diagnosed with surfer myelopathy. Pictured: Gildner at the hospital
Surfer myelopathy is a rare condition in which the back is hyperextended, resulting in a blood vessel to the spine and depriving the spinal cord of oxygen. Pictured: Gildner, left, with his family at the hospital
Finally, after almost two weeks, they finally made a diagnosis: the myelopathy of the surfer.
Surfer myelopathy is a rare lesion of the spinal cord that occurs when the back is hyperextended.
When the back is overflowed, a blood vessel to the spine twists tightly and deprives the spinal cord of blood flow and oxygen.
It is more common among novice surfers in good health because they are not used to arching their backs when they paddle.
Most recover fully, but in some cases people may be left permanently paralyzed.
According to a report published in 2016 by the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, there would be only 64 known cases in the world.
Dr. Kimberly BeDell, Medical Director of Pediatric Rehabilitation at Miller Children's Hospital Long Beach, told the Orange County Register that it was the first case of my surgeon's myelopathy. she had seen and treated.
Currently, Gildner performs physiotherapy, occupation and aquatherapy six days a week.
According to the Orange County Register, two weeks ago, Gildner's biggest feat was to walk alone at 150 feet.
"I learned a lot of patience, especially with myself," he told the newspaper. "I spend 110% therapy, I cherish small wins and I compete."
Gildner is paralyzed from waist to toe and is undergoing physical therapy to walk again. Pictured: Gildner at the hospital
The teenager has since been released from the hospital and is continuing his rehabilitation at his home in North Carolina. Pictured: Gildner takes surf lessons, right, with his younger brother
He adds that he knows his injury was just an unfortunate break and that he does not want to spoil himself and feel sorry for himself.
"I think it's one of the main reasons I've succeeded," he said. "It's a shitty situation. But you can not sit for months. You can not recover like that.
Dr. BeDell said that one of the good signs was that Gildner had begun to regain sensations below his size.
"He has a good attitude … he works really hard, he was obviously an athlete before," she told the Orange County Register.
"When it comes to doing his therapies and working hard, even when he is really tired, he is doing everything possible."
Gildner has since left the hospital and continues his rehabilitation at home in North Carolina.
The family has created a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of medical bills and Gildner's care.
Wednesday afternoon, they raised over $ 30,000 on a goal of $ 50,000.
[ad_2]
Source link