Paralyzed from the waist down, Noah walks again (video)

Dr. Amelia Simpson’s heart sunk when she first met Noah Cooper.

Noah, an athletic, 23-year-old fitness trainer, had been rushed to the Sharp Memorial Hospital emergency room following a terrible, high-speed car crash that crushed his spine and paralyzed him from the waist down. His chances of regaining much feeling in his legs were grim.

“It’s difficult to see any patient in this situation, especially someone so young,” says Dr. Simpson, a trauma surgeon. “We all hoped for the best, but we knew he would be facing significant challenges.”

Noah underwent complex spine surgery at Sharp Memorial, performed by Dr. Sassan Keshavarzi (formerly at Sharp), then continued his recovery for a few weeks at the Sharp Allison deRose Rehabilitation Center. When he left Sharp, Noah returned to his hometown in Georgia to be closer to family.

A few months later, Noah reached out with remarkable news: He was walking again, something his doctors had to see in person to believe.

Watch the video to learn more about Noah’s recovery and how he returned to San Diego to reunite with his Sharp caregivers.