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Young has been using Cyberdine HAL technology at Brooks Rehabilitation. The former UF basketball star was paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident in June.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — People fear different things heights, spiders and the unknown.
The unknown is former University of Florida basketball star, Patric Young’s, present and future.
Uncertainty Young is running from.
“Nothing is going to be a clear path solution everything is going to take work everything is going to take dedication obsession even when I’m not here doing things to continue to prep my body for walking,” Young said.
Seven months after a car accident paralyzed the former Providence High School star from the waist down, special technology at Brooks Rehabilitation is giving Young added hope.
“The first time doing it and walking it was really cool it felt weird because I don’t have the sensation necessarily, but I do have the signals firing,” Young said.
The Cyberdine Hybrid Assistive Limb [HAL] treatment takes messages from a patient’s brain to their legs and assists in making movements.
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Brooks Rehabilitation says it’s one of two centers in the country that has the technology.
“He’s done well,” Brooks Rehabilition Neuro Recovery Center Manager, Bob McIver, said. “He’s only been in the robot a couple times at this point but he’s able to tolerate session in there we just started stepping in the robot he was able to work on some sit to stands and being able to get up, so he was excited the first time the robot engaged and moved his legs for him.”
Friday, Young worked in the pool for the first time where he stimulated muscles that have been dormant for months.
The pool and Cyberdine are both part of his journey through the unknown.
“You make the decision now that no matter what I’m going to keep sticking to the process one day tomorrow could be the day, 10 years could be the day, but in the midst of that I’m not going to wait for my circumstances to change to choose joy,” Young said.
Young said he recently started to drive and was able to drop his daughter off at school for the first time since his accident in June 2022.
After his accident, Young started a foundation dedicated to helping those in similar situations.
