Keith Godat Learns to Walk Again After Surviving an Aneurysm
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Keith Godat defied odds after an aneurysm caused a massive stroke, paralyzing the left side of his body, and doctors said he may never walk again after, NBC affiliate WHEC 10 reports.
The 41-year-old lived an active lifestyle, so when he was told that he may never recover, he knew that he would need to do something if he wanted to get his life back.
Godat heard about a device that sends electronic signals to help stimulate nerves in the leg when they try to walk. He purchased the device, hoping that it would help him on his road to recovery.
"I put it on. I got up out of the wheelchair for the first time in seven months, and I went right into walking all the way down the hall and back with minimal assistance. And it was amazing. My wife Leslie was in tears. I was in tears. I was in shock," he told the news source.
Since using the device, he has regained muscle strength in his leg and walking on his own, but still has a while before he is fully recovered. He is saving money to purchase the device for his arm now, since it is not covered by insurance.
According to The Brain Aneurysm Foundation, an estimated 6 million Americans are living with an unruptured brain aneurysm. The annual rate of rupture is approximately 8-10 per 100,000 individuals, with a brain aneurysm rupturing every 18 minutes in the United States.
A ruptured aneurysm is fatal in 40 percent of cases, and of those that survive, 66 percent will suffer from a permanent disability.
The Brain Aneurysm Foundation is the only nonprofit organization in the United States that is singularly dedicated to providing awareness, education, support and funding for research into the causes of brain aneurysms. The organization offers information regarding diagnosis and recovery, and has also built a support community for survivors to connect to each other and share their stories.
The 41-year-old lived an active lifestyle, so when he was told that he may never recover, he knew that he would need to do something if he wanted to get his life back.
Godat heard about a device that sends electronic signals to help stimulate nerves in the leg when they try to walk. He purchased the device, hoping that it would help him on his road to recovery.
"I put it on. I got up out of the wheelchair for the first time in seven months, and I went right into walking all the way down the hall and back with minimal assistance. And it was amazing. My wife Leslie was in tears. I was in tears. I was in shock," he told the news source.
Since using the device, he has regained muscle strength in his leg and walking on his own, but still has a while before he is fully recovered. He is saving money to purchase the device for his arm now, since it is not covered by insurance.
According to The Brain Aneurysm Foundation, an estimated 6 million Americans are living with an unruptured brain aneurysm. The annual rate of rupture is approximately 8-10 per 100,000 individuals, with a brain aneurysm rupturing every 18 minutes in the United States.
A ruptured aneurysm is fatal in 40 percent of cases, and of those that survive, 66 percent will suffer from a permanent disability.
The Brain Aneurysm Foundation is the only nonprofit organization in the United States that is singularly dedicated to providing awareness, education, support and funding for research into the causes of brain aneurysms. The organization offers information regarding diagnosis and recovery, and has also built a support community for survivors to connect to each other and share their stories.
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