http://wkrn.com/2015/03/29/wrestler-paralyzed-after-2013-injury-undergoes-stem-cell-therapy/
H.S. wrestler paralyzed by 2013 injury undergoes stem cell therapy
By Talia Kaplan Published: March 29, 2015, 9:45 pm Updated: March 29, 2015, 11:03 pm
High school wrestler suffers spinal injury during match
Williamson County teen goes home 4 months after spinal injury
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) – A Williamson County High School athlete was living the life of a typical teenager, but it was changed suddenly during a wrestling match.
It happened in Huntsville, Alabama, in December 2013. Hunter Garstin, then a sophomore at Independence High School, suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed.
Doctors first thought he may never walk again. Garstin said he is not giving up; he will do whatever he can to get back on his feet.
“I’ve had leg movement and fingers coming back, and sensory, I can feel everything,” he said.
He spent four months in a rehabilitation center in Atlanta. He still travels to Atlanta every two weeks for therapy.
“I’m planning on walking across the stage to get my diploma,” said Hunter.
He said he tried almost everything, including acupuncture and massage. He also tried stem cell therapy.
“We don’t want to ever look back and think there could have been more that we could have done,” said Emily Garstin, Hunter’s mother.
She said they flew to Switzerland for the treatment because it isn’t readily available in the United States.
“[The doctors] put a really long needle into his bone and took the stem cells,” she said. “They condensed them and spun them to activate them and then put them back into his spine.”
“We thought by going it would speed the process up and hopefully get things back that wouldn’t normally come back,” said Hunter, who added that doctors told him he won’t start seeing the effects of the treatment for a couple of months.
“When Hunter gets back into exercise therapy, we’re hoping to see the results from the stem cells,” his mom told News 2.
“I am not going to stop until I get what I want,” said Hunter.
Each trip costs about $20,000. Garstin said he couldn’t have done it without all the people who have supported him.
He still has two more treatments left. To help his cause, go to HunterStrong.com where the family is selling T-shirts to help with his treatments, or donate monetarily on his GoFundMe page.
A Facebook page made in his honor, Prayers for Hunter Garstin, has garnered over 18,000 likes.
H.S. wrestler paralyzed by 2013 injury undergoes stem cell therapy
By Talia Kaplan Published: March 29, 2015, 9:45 pm Updated: March 29, 2015, 11:03 pm
High school wrestler suffers spinal injury during match
Williamson County teen goes home 4 months after spinal injury
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) – A Williamson County High School athlete was living the life of a typical teenager, but it was changed suddenly during a wrestling match.
It happened in Huntsville, Alabama, in December 2013. Hunter Garstin, then a sophomore at Independence High School, suffered a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed.
Doctors first thought he may never walk again. Garstin said he is not giving up; he will do whatever he can to get back on his feet.
“I’ve had leg movement and fingers coming back, and sensory, I can feel everything,” he said.
He spent four months in a rehabilitation center in Atlanta. He still travels to Atlanta every two weeks for therapy.
“I’m planning on walking across the stage to get my diploma,” said Hunter.
He said he tried almost everything, including acupuncture and massage. He also tried stem cell therapy.
“We don’t want to ever look back and think there could have been more that we could have done,” said Emily Garstin, Hunter’s mother.
She said they flew to Switzerland for the treatment because it isn’t readily available in the United States.
“[The doctors] put a really long needle into his bone and took the stem cells,” she said. “They condensed them and spun them to activate them and then put them back into his spine.”
“We thought by going it would speed the process up and hopefully get things back that wouldn’t normally come back,” said Hunter, who added that doctors told him he won’t start seeing the effects of the treatment for a couple of months.
“When Hunter gets back into exercise therapy, we’re hoping to see the results from the stem cells,” his mom told News 2.
“I am not going to stop until I get what I want,” said Hunter.
Each trip costs about $20,000. Garstin said he couldn’t have done it without all the people who have supported him.
He still has two more treatments left. To help his cause, go to HunterStrong.com where the family is selling T-shirts to help with his treatments, or donate monetarily on his GoFundMe page.
A Facebook page made in his honor, Prayers for Hunter Garstin, has garnered over 18,000 likes.