Michael Monaco would like to move his arms. In his dreams, he would like to walk his dogs, drive a car, greet a visitor to his Lincoln Park home at the front door, standing.

In his dreams, he would like to walk his dogs, drive a car, greet a visitor to his Lincoln Park home at the front door, standing.

But reality for Monaco is his wheelchair. It moves when he blows into a strawlike tube. His hands are strapped to the arms of the chair. He cannot lift them. Continue Reading »

Local clinic helping woman get stem cell treatment in Russia

Brittney Ham has a supportive family, determination and hope, a combination that keeps the thought of walking again active in her mind.

But money stands in her way.

“If I had the money I would be walking,” Ham said. Continue Reading »

Research to begin sooner, track patients for two years.

Like looking at an iceberg, Brandon Sulser’s immobility is only the tip of his challenges from quadriplegia. “Being in the wheelchair, that’s the easiest part,” he says.

Sulser’s severely bruised spinal cord makes it difficult to breathe, because his diaphragm is weaker. It’s easy to overheat because his body doesn’t sweat. Quadriplegics and paraplegics often have lowered heart rates, leaving them prone to dizziness and fainting, struggling to keep up with workouts and at a higher risk for heart attacks. Continue Reading »