Many possibilities remain for paralyzed former Tulane football player Devon Walker
http://www.nola.com/tulane/index.ssf/2014/05/tulanes_devon_walker_locks_in.html
By Tammy Nunez, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
May 17, 2014
This is the third of a three-part series on Devon Walker, a Tulane football player who was paralyzed in a game Sept. 8, 2012. He will graduate from Tulane on Saturday. Read the first part here and the second part here.
As Devon Walker accepted his Tulane diploma this weekend and even signed a one-day contract with the New Orleans Saints, his future has opened in a way he never imagined.
His story is well known now. He broke his neck in a football game in 2012 and has been paralyzed from the neck down ever since.
Before the injury, it was hard to imagine the New Orleans Saints even noticing the former walk-on defensive back from Destrehan.
He stepped on campus in 2009 pondering a pre-medical school curriculum that could lead to either medical school or pharmacy school.
But five years and a spinal cord injury later, Walker's path has actually broadened. The irony is sharp.
As he lost mobility, his world opened up. People followed his accident, his recovery and are inspired by his journey.
Athletic director Rick Dickson said there was an elementary school in Mexico that sent get-well cards to Walker, for example. Walker is pondering everything from medical school to counseling others with spinal cord injuries.
"I'm not really sure what I will do," Walker said.
Walker's skill set is expansive. He has always been a computer whiz who could easily pursue an information technology path.
His degree begs a medical school application. There is always pharmacy school as well.
"He was always brilliant in math," mother Inez said. "He tested off the chart in math all through high school. He was a math person."
With a strong interest and aptitude in math and science, Walker pursued a course in cell and molecular biology. He hadn't really nailed down what he wanted to do even before he was injured his senior season.
"Devon is great. But I'm a little worried as a mother," Inez said. "You are always thinking about the future because he even like into his senior year when he got hurt, he was still kind of on the border, he didn't really know. He was undecided about what he wanted to do. I think (pharmacy school) was just a manifestation of hey, he didn't know so she went to pharmacy school, maybe I'll try that. Would he have really gone to pharmacy school? I don't know."
Walker said his physical condition and what happens in the next few months could determine much about what sort of career he pursues. He has occasional movement in his limbs but can't do it on command.
He will travel this summer to various spinal cord treatment programs to try to accelerate his recovery.
And don't think the math and science ace isn't doing his own research.
Ever since Walker has been able to surf the internet using voice-activated technology, he has been researching spinal cord injuries and the science in recovering from them.
"Nowadays I'm more concerned with neurology and neurocells and stem cells and things of that nature," he said. "My focus has changed a little bit since my injury and due to my injury but it's still in the science field."
Walker is headed to Miami, Fla., and then Panama City, Panama, to receive cutting edge spinal cord injury treatments.
"I'm going to the Buoniconti Institute in Miami (officially called the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis) -- so I'll be flying out there probably in the beginning of June," Walker said. "Then there is a stem cell program in Panama that I'm going to for about five weeks. After that, I'll start getting some (function) back, some movement back and I might go back to Miami for another month of intense rehab... and then start school back up again."
Walker has followed traditional treatment protocols for spinal cord injuries to this point and regained a greater sense of feeling throughout his body, some occasional movement in his extremities, and some strengthening with his breathing and overall endurance.
But Walker feels the advances in spinal cord research can help him and his mother, Inez, said she backs her son's pursuit of the newer treatments 100 percent.
"We're going to do everything we can to get him the best results," Inez said. "He researches everything. We found the place in Panama. Anything outside of the country, I'm a little leery of but that's the only people are doing stem cells. I've always backed him, whatever he wanted to do, I've backed him. But then I put myself in his place and I said, if it were me, I would try anything. I would want to try everything so I'm going to back him."
The stem cell treatments aren't wholesale approved in the United States, which is why he must travel outside of the country. The basic idea is that doctors take cells from the patents own bone marrow and/or donated umbilical cord stem cells and inject them throughout the spine to try to jumpstart healing and recovery in the damaged parts of the spine.
According to the Stem Cell Institute in Panama, the typical treatment involves 14 injections over the course of four weeks and can help improve ASIA scores, bladder and/or bowel function, sexual function and muscle control.
The Panama facility did not immediately respond to a request for an interview.
But some doctors in the US have been cautious about the treatment.
"Medical studies done in other countries are often not conducted in the same manner that we conduct them here in the United States," Dr. David Chen of the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago said in a video posted online regarding stem cell treatments.
"And the reasons those studies aren't conducted this way here in the United States is to protect individuals from potential harm, and to really know whether a particular treatment has the benefit that's going to outweigh the risks.
"Because of that, it's hard to interpret those experiences, and those results of those studies in other countries to know whether indeed the treatments that they're giving, specifically, stem-cells or stem-cells related treatments, are really beneficial or effective, and which individuals those treatments are going to be most beneficial for."
There are other ideas – like using a medical machine to stimulate the areas in the spinal cord.
"They had stimulator connected to the spinal cord above the break and another below the break to help people move – and that's something that has just been recently," Walker said. "Other than that, stem cells are a large part of my research, trying to find places who can do the surgery and finding places that have been successful in people seeing movement come back or people seeing different bodily functions come back from those programs. Mainly, that's where my focus has been pointed toward – experimental research."
For someone like Walker, who feels his future depends on regaining more function, it's worth trying.
And Walker, who worked his way up on the Tulane football team from walk-on to starter before his injury in 2012 isn't one to give up easily.
"I would say it comes from stubbornness form my mom and my father," Walker said. "Both of them are stubborn – I got a double whammy there. Also, just throughout my life as a kid, I was always taught that you work hard for what you want and you don't' settle for less than what you think you need, what you think you deserve. So it's just working for it and keep working for it."
Walker will have a fellowship in place at Tulane when he returns from the summer's treatments. He has been offered a chance to work in the athletic department either with computers or helping acclimate and counsel freshmen student-athletes while he works toward a science Master's degree.
"They need a lot of help," Walker said with a laugh about freshmen student-athletes.
Where ever Walker's road takes him from here – whether he eventually ends up walking down the path or not --- his future will almost certainly involve advocating and researching in some form or fashion about spinal cord injuries.
After the summer's rehabilitation, it's back to the classroom, he said.
"I would like to get a Master's in neuroscience or in the science field," he said.
As for whether Walker will be donning a medical coat, working in a laboratory or becomes some sort of spokesman or counselor, the future is still up in the air, Walker said.
"It all depends on after this summer, after I do this summer intensive rehab. It all depends on what I get back before school starts back up in the fall," Walker said.
http://www.nola.com/tulane/index.ssf/2014/05/tulanes_devon_walker_locks_in.html
By Tammy Nunez, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
May 17, 2014
This is the third of a three-part series on Devon Walker, a Tulane football player who was paralyzed in a game Sept. 8, 2012. He will graduate from Tulane on Saturday. Read the first part here and the second part here.
As Devon Walker accepted his Tulane diploma this weekend and even signed a one-day contract with the New Orleans Saints, his future has opened in a way he never imagined.
His story is well known now. He broke his neck in a football game in 2012 and has been paralyzed from the neck down ever since.
Before the injury, it was hard to imagine the New Orleans Saints even noticing the former walk-on defensive back from Destrehan.
He stepped on campus in 2009 pondering a pre-medical school curriculum that could lead to either medical school or pharmacy school.
But five years and a spinal cord injury later, Walker's path has actually broadened. The irony is sharp.
As he lost mobility, his world opened up. People followed his accident, his recovery and are inspired by his journey.
Athletic director Rick Dickson said there was an elementary school in Mexico that sent get-well cards to Walker, for example. Walker is pondering everything from medical school to counseling others with spinal cord injuries.
"I'm not really sure what I will do," Walker said.
Walker's skill set is expansive. He has always been a computer whiz who could easily pursue an information technology path.
His degree begs a medical school application. There is always pharmacy school as well.
"He was always brilliant in math," mother Inez said. "He tested off the chart in math all through high school. He was a math person."
With a strong interest and aptitude in math and science, Walker pursued a course in cell and molecular biology. He hadn't really nailed down what he wanted to do even before he was injured his senior season.
"Devon is great. But I'm a little worried as a mother," Inez said. "You are always thinking about the future because he even like into his senior year when he got hurt, he was still kind of on the border, he didn't really know. He was undecided about what he wanted to do. I think (pharmacy school) was just a manifestation of hey, he didn't know so she went to pharmacy school, maybe I'll try that. Would he have really gone to pharmacy school? I don't know."
Walker said his physical condition and what happens in the next few months could determine much about what sort of career he pursues. He has occasional movement in his limbs but can't do it on command.
He will travel this summer to various spinal cord treatment programs to try to accelerate his recovery.
And don't think the math and science ace isn't doing his own research.
Ever since Walker has been able to surf the internet using voice-activated technology, he has been researching spinal cord injuries and the science in recovering from them.
"Nowadays I'm more concerned with neurology and neurocells and stem cells and things of that nature," he said. "My focus has changed a little bit since my injury and due to my injury but it's still in the science field."
Walker is headed to Miami, Fla., and then Panama City, Panama, to receive cutting edge spinal cord injury treatments.
"I'm going to the Buoniconti Institute in Miami (officially called the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis) -- so I'll be flying out there probably in the beginning of June," Walker said. "Then there is a stem cell program in Panama that I'm going to for about five weeks. After that, I'll start getting some (function) back, some movement back and I might go back to Miami for another month of intense rehab... and then start school back up again."
Walker has followed traditional treatment protocols for spinal cord injuries to this point and regained a greater sense of feeling throughout his body, some occasional movement in his extremities, and some strengthening with his breathing and overall endurance.
But Walker feels the advances in spinal cord research can help him and his mother, Inez, said she backs her son's pursuit of the newer treatments 100 percent.
"We're going to do everything we can to get him the best results," Inez said. "He researches everything. We found the place in Panama. Anything outside of the country, I'm a little leery of but that's the only people are doing stem cells. I've always backed him, whatever he wanted to do, I've backed him. But then I put myself in his place and I said, if it were me, I would try anything. I would want to try everything so I'm going to back him."
The stem cell treatments aren't wholesale approved in the United States, which is why he must travel outside of the country. The basic idea is that doctors take cells from the patents own bone marrow and/or donated umbilical cord stem cells and inject them throughout the spine to try to jumpstart healing and recovery in the damaged parts of the spine.
According to the Stem Cell Institute in Panama, the typical treatment involves 14 injections over the course of four weeks and can help improve ASIA scores, bladder and/or bowel function, sexual function and muscle control.
The Panama facility did not immediately respond to a request for an interview.
But some doctors in the US have been cautious about the treatment.
"Medical studies done in other countries are often not conducted in the same manner that we conduct them here in the United States," Dr. David Chen of the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago said in a video posted online regarding stem cell treatments.
"And the reasons those studies aren't conducted this way here in the United States is to protect individuals from potential harm, and to really know whether a particular treatment has the benefit that's going to outweigh the risks.
"Because of that, it's hard to interpret those experiences, and those results of those studies in other countries to know whether indeed the treatments that they're giving, specifically, stem-cells or stem-cells related treatments, are really beneficial or effective, and which individuals those treatments are going to be most beneficial for."
There are other ideas – like using a medical machine to stimulate the areas in the spinal cord.
"They had stimulator connected to the spinal cord above the break and another below the break to help people move – and that's something that has just been recently," Walker said. "Other than that, stem cells are a large part of my research, trying to find places who can do the surgery and finding places that have been successful in people seeing movement come back or people seeing different bodily functions come back from those programs. Mainly, that's where my focus has been pointed toward – experimental research."
For someone like Walker, who feels his future depends on regaining more function, it's worth trying.
And Walker, who worked his way up on the Tulane football team from walk-on to starter before his injury in 2012 isn't one to give up easily.
"I would say it comes from stubbornness form my mom and my father," Walker said. "Both of them are stubborn – I got a double whammy there. Also, just throughout my life as a kid, I was always taught that you work hard for what you want and you don't' settle for less than what you think you need, what you think you deserve. So it's just working for it and keep working for it."
Walker will have a fellowship in place at Tulane when he returns from the summer's treatments. He has been offered a chance to work in the athletic department either with computers or helping acclimate and counsel freshmen student-athletes while he works toward a science Master's degree.
"They need a lot of help," Walker said with a laugh about freshmen student-athletes.
Where ever Walker's road takes him from here – whether he eventually ends up walking down the path or not --- his future will almost certainly involve advocating and researching in some form or fashion about spinal cord injuries.
After the summer's rehabilitation, it's back to the classroom, he said.
"I would like to get a Master's in neuroscience or in the science field," he said.
As for whether Walker will be donning a medical coat, working in a laboratory or becomes some sort of spokesman or counselor, the future is still up in the air, Walker said.
"It all depends on after this summer, after I do this summer intensive rehab. It all depends on what I get back before school starts back up in the fall," Walker said.