Tim Raglin often swims with his family in the lake in front of the house. He always jumped head first, without suffering anything, until the 2007 accident, when Raglin hit his head with a stone, destroying a vertebra in his cervical spine, according to Discover.
His family brought him ashore so as not to drown, but for nine years his hands and feet remained paralyzed. Raglin underwent a nerve transfer operation. Doctor Kristy Boyd of Ottawa Hospital recreated the connections in Raglin’s body, connecting the nerves in his elbows to those in his hand.
The man waited a few months until his nerves began to develop, the procedure helped him regain the mobility of his left hand. After 18 months, Raglin was able to move his fingers as a result of several therapy sessions.
“It was shocking. Now it’s really moving, there are a lot of nerves and muscles that are getting stronger,” the patient said.
The process is hampered by the fact that Reglin’s muscles atrophied because they were not used. Because another nerve is attached to his hand, it will take the brain some time to get used to the new function.
Despite the challenges, he learned to move his fingers by flexing his biceps.
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