Clinical Trial Set Backs!

As most of you know I have been looking to participate in as many clinical trials as possible. Being apart of a clinical trial means that I will get the best in therapies at minimal to no cost. Hospitals and rehab centers like Shepherds and others across the country receives grants for research. That means that the studies are paid for and volunteers are needed for the research. People must apply and meet the criteria to be accepted into the programs. I have applied for numerous clinical trials and have been rejected on almost all of them.

The reason for my denial into these programs is because of my level of injury. My break occurred at the T11/T12 level of my spinal cord. At that level it is where the peripheral nerves branch out into the rest of my legs. Anything BELOW the T-10 level is not considered part of the central nervous system but the peripheral nervous system. At the T-10 level which is just ONE level above my injury is where the cord becomes a single cord and runs up to the brain. People with a T-10 and above is who ALL of the clinical trials are being tested on at this time.

I spoke with Dr. Wise Young who is the foremost authority on spinal cords in the US and in China. I asked if I could be apart of his clinical trials on some new and radical things that are coming up the pipeline on spinal cord recovery. He was very nice to me and told me to check in on several institutions who will be seeing out his studies. However, I told him I was a T11/12 lower motor neuron legion and he said that his study was for T-10 and above. ITS THE SAME STORY!!

I tried for the Action Clinical Trial at Shepherds, which would give me Beyond Therapy for 6 months FOR FREE and I was denied based on my level of injury! I am getting very frustrated at the lack of studies for people with my levels of injury. I am making progress and I see things changing all the time, but NO ONE will take me on and get me over the hump. Its aggravating to say the least. I feel like I could make HUGE gains if I had the equipment to increase my therapies. My PT who comes to my house has made more gains than I could EVER IMAGINE! However, I still need rehab and equipment (like the locomat) to get the most out of my recovery. PLEASE, PLEASE continue to pray for my recovery. I WILL WALK AGAIN, but these hang ups in my recovery are aggravating. I need prayers that I will make the right decisions in my future therapy. I also need prayers that I will be accepted into these programs. Being apart of clinical trials will also help me save money which I am having to watch closely for all my medical expenses. PLEASE NEVER GIVE UP ON MY RECOVERY! PLEASE KEEP ME IN FRONT OF GOD! I will glorify him, through all of my progress!
THANK YOU ALL,
SO MUCH IN HIM,
BRENT