Man paralyzed in accident able to move his legs again after experimental surgery

Ryan Straschnitzki.
(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/CBC News The National)

On Monday, Ryan Straschnitzki surprised everyone when he started moving his legs, extending one so far that he almost kicked his therapist.

The 20-year-old from Alberta, Canada, was in a bus crash last year that left him paralyzed from the chest down. He learned about an experimental surgery that involves implanting an epidural stimulator in the spine, with the hope that it will restore some leg movement. He decided to give it a shot, and went to Thailand for the procedure.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.