Hometown: Fukuoka, Japan
Injury Date: 8/19/2006
Birth Day: 12/28/2003
Diagnosis: T3 Incomplete
Project Walk Start Date: 12/11/2006
They were hit head on by a driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel. Although there was no injury to his spine itself, the impact caused him to double over putting a severe stretch on his spinal cord, injuring him at the T3 level.
Ryo was in the hospital for a short time recovering. His doctors told his parents that he had less than a 1% chance of recovery and would be dependant on a wheel chair for the rest of his life. Rehabilitation in Japan for a spinal cord injury patient is very limited. Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists in Japan have very little experience with spinal cord injuries. Ryo’s parents searched for better options and came across a Project Walk client’s Blog on the internet. They contacted the client and then Project Walk.
Working with a three year old is much different than training an older client. It is hard to communicate about sensation and connection with muscles to a three year old, so Ryo’s work outs look much more like play time. He spends a lot of time crawling after toy trains with a trainer’s assistance, riding his new tricycle and smiling and waving at everybody as he goes by. His trainers have been taking assisted steps with him on the treadmill, squatting on the total gym and working on his balance in a way that just seems like fun instead of work.
After just a few exercise therapy sessions, Ryo is already showing marked improvement. He is now able to get his hips up and back by himself (for hands and knees) and control them better while crawling. Hyper-extension in his knees is decreasing as his hamstrings become more active, and his ankle movements are improving as well. His hip flexors are also becoming more active, so now he can bring his knees up to his chest.
This is a great time for Ryo to be training, because his body is still growing and maturing. His nervous system is still developing, and by keeping him active we can prevent his muscles from conforming to life in a wheelchair. He will soon be returning to Japan to continue his therapy with Jun Watanabe, one of our trainers who will be starting up his own rehabilitation organization in Tokyo. We look forward to hearing about Ryo’s continued progress, and hopefully that he will soon be running and playing with his friends in the park again.
If you would like to contact Ryo and his parents, post on our message board.
Like any typical two year old, Ryo was very active. He enjoyed playing at the park with his friends, running and playing soccer. He had been walking for just over one year when he was injured in a car accident. He was riding in a small two door car with his grandfather, secure in his child’s car seat.