VIDEO GALLERY
Doctors thought Noah Cooper would never walk again
The below is an excerpt from content originally posted by NBC San Diego on May 20, 2021 Author: Joe Little
Crash Survivor Surprises Medical Staff Who Thought He'd Never Walk Again
Noah Cooper surprised the medical staff at Sharp Memorial Hospital twice on Thursday morning.
In recognition of Trauma Survivors Day Wednesday, Cooper surprised the staff by showing up during a review of his case. He rolled into the room in a wheelchair to a round of applause.
Six months ago, Cooper was paralyzed from the waist down during a bad car accident in San Diego.
“For me, when I see a patient like this in the trauma bay, especially somebody so young, my heart sinks immediately,” said trauma surgeon Amelia Simpson.
“We have to help him,” recalled neurosurgeon Sassan Keshavarzi. “We have to do everything by the book. Even if we don’t get any function back, I want to know we’re doing everything we can.”
The Sharp staff saw proof of their work on Thursday when the 24-year-old Cooper surprised them by standing up out of his wheelchair and walking over to hug Keshavarzi.
The room echoed with applause.
PATIENT HIGHLIGHT: Delores Lewis
It was nearly impossible for Delores Lewis to walk in a straight line. Within seconds, she would veer to the left or right and sometimes wobble in both directions. She knew her equilibrium was off, but didn’t know what was causing the imbalance and dizziness.
“I see myself as a survivor.”
Medical imaging revealed that Delores, 67, had a tumor at the base of her skull and degenerative disc disease in her neck. UF Health Jacksonville neurosurgeon Sassan Keshavarzi, M.D., said both conditions were likely contributing to Delores’ balance problem and that a dual surgery was required to correct it.
“It was pushing on her spinal cord pretty profoundly,” Keshavarzi said of the tumor, which was in front of Delores’ brain stem and spinal cord — at the junction where the base of the skull meets the neck.
Meanwhile, the deterioration of the discs in her neck was crushing the spinal cord. Putting off surgery could have ultimately led to more balance issues, bowel and bladder problems, paralysis and respiratory dysfunction.
The above is an excerpt from an patient highlight originally posted by the University of Florida Health
San Joaquin Community Hospital - Community Lecture on Back Pain
Dr. Keshavarzi speaks at community lecture on Back Pain
Home | About | Global Outreach | Videos | Publications | Patient Highlights | Testimonials