May 28, 2009 5:32 pm US/Eastern
Kennedy Krieger Unveils New Outpatient Center
BALTIMORE (WJZ) ―
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The facility has aquatic therapy centers and state of the art equipment. Patients with mobility problems can practice walking on grass, concrete and pebbles in a therapeutic garden.
CBS
Children with developmental disabilities and spinal cord injuries are getting state of the art treatment at a new facility.
Jessica Kartalija reports from the new Kennedy Krieger Outpatient Center, one patient thought he'd never walk again. Now, he's doing just that.
"Seemed like I had everything perfect, just had the perfect life, then all of a sudden, one day, it's gone," Matt Courson said.
Courson was the pitcher for his college baseball team in Arkansas.
"I'm throwing the baseball the previous day, and then the next day, I can't even move," he said.
In 2006, Courson injured his spinal cord in an ATV accident and was told he'd never walk again.
"I was left in a chair and told there's nothing they could do for me," Courson said.
That was before he came to Kennedy Krieger.
"He changed his course in life because of this injury, but he also changed my course in life because I don't believe that what I do is so important as to change other people's lives," Cristina Sadowsky, Director of the Paralysis Restoration Clinic said.
Now Courson joins Maryland's top brass in celebrating the grand opening of a six-floor, 115,000-square foot outpatient center.
The facility has aquatic therapy centers and state of the art equipment. Patients with mobility problems can practice walking on grass, concrete and pebbles in a therapeutic garden.
"It is paramount, not only in that it inspires us, but it also allows us to do a lot more than we ever thought possible," Sadowsky said.
"I didn't recover anything normally for about a year, then I came to Kennedy Krieger and after three months, I'm moving a toe and after six months, I'm standing up and I'm walking in braces. Then two years post, I'm walking down the hall with a walker. It's unbelievable. I'm so blessed," Courson said.
Courson dreams to one day play catch with his kids, or walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding.
"I'm going to recover from this, I'm going to beat this," Courson said.
Courson has been motivating others through his inspirational story. He hopes the new facility will speed his progress even more. The facility was built with $35 million raised by individuals and organizations in our area.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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