Paralyzed Man Stands

Experimental electrical stimulation treatment allows paralyzed man to stand on his own.
ABC World News (5/19, story 11, 2:00, Muir) reported, "More than a million Americans are living with spinal cord injuries in this country."
The CBS Evening News (5/19, story 2, 2:40, Couric) reported, "Now, for the first time, a patient paralyzed from the waist down, a 25-year-old man, was able to stand up on his own and take a few steps," thanks to "an experimental new treatment."
USA Today (5/20, Marcus, Szabo) reports that, according to research published online May 20 in The Lancet, "scientists from the University of Louisville, UCLA, and the California Institute of Technology" used "electronic stimulation of the spinal cord" to help Rob Summers, who was "struck by a vehicle in a hit-and-run accident" five years ago.
As a result of the treatment, Summers can "move his hips, knees, ankles and toes voluntarily," the Los Angeles Times (5/20, Maugh) reports. What's more, he has "regained some bladder and sexual function after intensive rehabilitation and two years of electrical stimulation to his damaged spinal cord with a device normally used for pain relief."
The New York Times (5/20, A12, Grady, Subscription Publication) reports that "surgeons implanted electrodes in the lower part of his back to stimulate his spinal cord. The electrodes are attached to a pulse generator, similar to a pacemaker, which is also fully implanted and controlled by a remote device outside the body." Next, "the device was switched on for about two hours a day, for therapy sessions." Amazingly, just after three days, Summers was able to support his own body weight briefly, effectively standing on his own after the release of a supporting harness.