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Pat Rummerfield is used to being described as a walking miracle.More than three decades after breaking his neck in several places,Rummerfield cannot only walk, he can also run and is considered tobe a fully-functional quadriplegic. 'Walking miracle' The human spinal cord is a crucial pathway for nerves connectingthe brain with the rest of the body. Unlike most critical bodyparts, the spinal cord does not repair itself if damaged. Whilethere have been promising advances in research in recent years,there is currently no cure for spinal cord injury. Still, thereare a few extraordinary cases of people, like Rummerfield, who haverecovered. Rummerfield now devotes his life to helping others who havesuffered similar injuries. He spends a week every month workingwith patients at the Kennedy Krieger Institute s InternationalCenter for Spinal Cord Injury, in Baltimore, Maryland. Technically, his job title at the institute is spokesperson andfundraiser. But his most important role is to be there forpatients who first and foremost need his moral support. Being able to touch the lives of others, knowing what they regoing through, I myself have been in those same situations," hesays. "I have had the same thoughts going through my brain that sgoing through theirs. It s a huge honor. Fighting back In 1974, Rummerfield's neck was broken in four places in an autoaccident. At the time, it was considered an impossible injuryto recover from. Doctors told his father he would be deadwithin 72 hours. They didn t know about Rummerfield s undyingwill. A week later, there was another meeting with my father and theysaid that I had beaten a billion-to-one odds," Rummerfield says,"that they were pretty positive that I was going to live but theprognosis was still grim. He spent the first year at a physical rehabilitation facility. Then, he and his recently-retired father decided to manage hisrehab on their own. Rehab was very very intense. Five hours a day. Whatevermoved, I would lift a weight with it. And you know very slowlythings started coming back. It took about three and a half yearsbut I could drag my right side for about 100 feet (30 meters). ThenI had to sit down and rest or take a nap. Defying the odds After seventeen years of grueling rehabilitation, Rummerfieldbecame a fully-functional quadriplegic - described by many as a walking miracle. After defying the odds, he was determinedto break some records. When I got to that point where I could run, I immediately starteddoing races as ways of raising money, raising funds for spinal cordresearch and I have never stopped. He did more than just run. He completed a so-called Ironman triathlon in 1992. He is also a licensed race car driver andholds the land speed record for electric cars. His miraculous recovery continues to confound doctors around theworld. Few would argue Rummerfield's biggest asset is his mentalstrength. He has the determination of a warrior," says Dr. John McDonald,director of the rehab center. "He fights through pain, he ll fightthrough anything. He will never give up. The National Spinal Cord Injury Association says fewer than one percent of those with spinal cord injuries make a full recovery. Medical researchers like Ann Choe are still trying to figure outhow Rummerfield did it. By studying his case both structurally,in the brain, and spinal cord -- functionally -- we hope to seewhat made it possible for him to recover. Those findings wehopefully can and will be able to apply to other patients. Inspiring hope Whatever Rummerfield s larger role may be for medical research,his life s work is with patients like Erin Buckles. A conjoinedtwin at birth, her spinal cord was damaged during the separationsurgery. It means a lot to us that he has taken such an interest in Erin,"says Melissa Buckles, Erin's mother. "It tells us that he has thebelief that she is going to walk someday, too. We look at Patas a miracle but also something that is attainable. Nothing is certain, and the road to a possible recovery is a longhaul. But one thing patients at Kennedy Krieger can be certain of,is that Rummerfield will be there to inspire them, every step ofthe way. At the end of the day, I don t really think of myself as acelebrity or hero or anything like that. I just think that I amtrying to help as many people along the way as I can. My goal is tosomeday being a part of helping everyone getting out of awheelchair. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as China Cast Iron Inoculation , Ferro Silicon Alloys, and more. For more , please visit Magnesium Ferro Silicon today!
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