It's been more than a year and a half since the tragic bus crash involving the Humboldt Broncos hockey team in Saskatchewan which killed 16 people and left many others injured. Among those injuries was Ryan Straschnitzki, who was left paralyzed from the chest down. However, new video released on Twitter by his father shows the young man taking his first steps since the accident after undergoing surgery in Thailand. Take a look:
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Ryan and his family departed for Thailand back in late October so he could undergo the spinal surgery. He had an epidural stimulator implanted in his spine, which can bring back certain functions such as muscle movement and bladder control. The procedure was performed in early November. Unfortunately, isn't available in Canada yet, even though it's been performed close to 100 times around the world.
The treatment is no miracle cure, but it is considered a breakthrough procedure that, combined with intense physical therapy, could improve the health and quality of the life of those with spinal cord injuries. Now that the surgery has been performed, Ryan will go through five weeks of intensive physical therapy and a "mapping" process used to enable patients to control their muscles again.
Considering doctors told him after the crash that he had no chance of ever walking or getting "anything back", Ryan seems to be making excellent progress!
