There is a constant litany of bad news dominating news channels, leading one to believe that all is indeed dire and we live in a permanent state of chaos. Between suicide bombings, human tragedies, new terrorist attacks and the spread of Ebola, one might be forgiven for believing that mankind is about to be either blown up or consumed by a raging haemorrhagic fever.
But all is not lost. And in the avalanche of bad news, a very significant breakthrough has been recorded by medical researchers and scientists working in Europe. For the first time ever, a paralysed man has been given the ability to walk again. Darek Fidyka was paralysed from the chest down, following a knife attack that severed his spinal cord. Using cells harvested from Fidykia’s nasal passage, researchers were able to graft new cells into his spinal column. As a result, Fidyka has been able to regain feeling in his lower limbs and has managed to walk again, albeit with the help of leg braces and a walking frame. While it is still early days, the very fact that Fidykia is now able to stand on his own two feet and can walk is nothing short of a miracle.
Researchers and medical scientists have long dreamed of the day when they could make those paralysed walk again. Yes, this is a small first step, but it is profound moment, one that a doctor said was more important than man’s first step on the Moon. This breakthrough offers hope for all those who have been struck down with spinal cord injuries, now living their lives from the confines of a bed or a wheelchair. To dare to dream of taking another step is now a possibility and within the bounds of reality. And importantly too, this medical advance shows that man is indeed capable of good works and remarkable achievements if minds are collectively focused on a cause. And given all of the bad news, this remarkable story should serve as a reminder that all indeed is not lost. Life is good, mankind is capable of good. And there is hope for us all.
