Latest news with #paralysis
BBC News
5 hours ago
- BBC News
Julian Cole, paralysed in 2013 Bedford nightclub arrest, dies
A man who was left paralysed and brain-damaged after a scuffle with police and nightclub doormen 12 years ago has died, aged Cole suffered a broken neck and a severe spinal injury after he was "taken to the ground" by police outside a nightclub in Bedford in May Bedfordshire Police officers, who lied about the incident, were sacked in 2018 after being found guilty of Cole, who was aged 19 at the time, had been living in a "minimally conscious state" and died on 7 March 2025, according to his family's lawyers Bindmans. In 2024, his family agreed an out-of-court settlement of £1.2m with the police, in which the force did not accept criminal charges have been brought over Mr Cole's injuries. Mr Cole was studying sport science at the University of Bedfordshire when he went to Elements nightclub with was told to leave, but kept trying to get back in to the club, leading to staff calling the was "taken to the ground" by a bouncer and police, before being cuffed with "his face on ground", a police misconduct hearing was Nicholas Oates, Sanjeev Kalyan and Hannah Ross lifted him from the ground and took him to the police station, where they called an arrived to discover Mr Cole was not breathing, and later discovered a broken vertebra at three officers claimed Mr Cole had been able to walk and get into the police van, but CCTV showed he had to be carried, with his legs dragging on the ground and head hanging down.A High Court judge, while approving the out-of-court settlement, said: "The matter was compounded by a concerted attempt on behalf of the police officers involved to falsify their account of events." The solicitors firm said Mr Cole was born in north-west London in 1993 and was a passionate Arsenal fan. He started his degree at the university in said: "Julian's friends had visited him in hospital the day before he died, and his mother Claudia and brother Claudius were at his bedside."The family have now been notified by the North London Coroner that he has commenced an investigation into the causes of Julian's death." Follow Beds, Herts and Bucks news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Three charged in Brooklyn Park shooting that left football player paralyzed
Three men, two of them brothers, have been charged in connection with a shooting that left a promising young football player paralyzed. Each of the men is charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault and a dangerous weapons charge, court records show. According to a criminal complaint, one of the three men shot Michael Blidi Jr. on May 29 while they were inside a vehicle and Blidi was standing outside his home in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. It's unclear who actually fired at Blidi. The complaint states Blidi had punched one of the men during an altercation at a basketball game a few days before the shooting. One of the men made threats toward Blidi both in person and on social media, investigators said. Blidi was a star outside linebacker at a central Pennsylvania high school and had a scholarship to play football at an Iowa community college. The shooting left him paraplegic, according to the complaint, but he told WCCO he hopes to someday walk and play football again. The suspect vehicle fled after the shooting, but police tracked it to an apartment building in Brooklyn Park via surveillance video. Three men exited the vehicle and entered the apartment building, investigators said, and a fourth later left the building and moved the car. The fourth man, who lived in the apartment building, told police the three men said "something had gone down," according to the complaint, and gave him a handgun. During a search of the apartment, police found two handguns and additional ammunition. A cartridge casing found inside the vehicle matched one of the handguns. All three men charged are in custody. The fourth man is not charged. Note: The video above originally aired June 9, 2025.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Daily Mail
Little girl who loved to dance is left totally paralyzed by stranger's evil act
An 11-year-old girl has been left paralyzed after she was struck in the head by a stray bullet while walking home from school. Willow James, from Harvey, Illinois, was with her father and cousin when she was almost killed by the errant shot on May 28. The promising dancer and athlete was left paralyzed after the bullet narrowly missed her brain, but 'fractured her skull and caused serious trauma', her parents said. Her family said it was a 'miracle' she survived, but the shooting 'has impacted her ability to walk, speak, and process emotions', a GoFundMe for the girl said. Three weeks after the shooting, Chicago authorities have now arrested suspect Graylin Waters, 29, after a gun linked to the shooting was allegedly found in a search of his car. Waters is facing charges of aggravated battery with a firearm and was ordered to be held in the Cook County Jail while he awaits trial. Willow is undergoing extensive rehabilitation and is 'relearning how to walk', her family said, adding that the stray bullet 'has turned our world upside down'. The girl's family said in their fundraiser that the shocking incident devastated Willow's promising childhood, as they described her as 'a force of nature'. Willow previously won three back-to-back basketball championships and was named MVP of her team this year. She was also a cheer captain and 'track star'. Describing her as, 'a dancer and singer with endless energy and talent', Willow 'lit up every room - and every field, court and stage she walked onto', the fundraiser said. 'Her spirit is still there, fighting hard every day through therapy. We believe in her strength more than ever.' Her family said she is receiving care at one of the top rehabilitation centers in the country, and although she is slowly recovering, they have 'noticed changes in her behavior and personality'. 'Her medical team is helping us understand that these are part of the brain's healing process,' they said. Willow is 'carrying deep emotional scars', they added, and is undergoing therapy to get over 'the most terrifying moment of her life.' Following Waters' arrest, Harvey Police Chief Cameron Biddings said the shooting had 'shaken' their community. 'From day one, our detectives worked tirelessly to identify and apprehend the suspect,' Biddings said. 'With the help of our community, we've taken a dangerous individual off the streets and recovered what we believe to be the weapon used.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Precision Neuroscience Named to Fast Company's World Changing Ideas and Inc.'s Best Workplaces Lists
Awards recognize innovation in healthcare technology and excellence in workplace culture NEW YORK, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Precision Neuroscience Corporation (Precision), a leader in brain–computer interface (BCI) technology, has been named to two prestigious lists: Fast Company's World Changing Ideas and Inc.'s 2025 Best Workplaces. Fast Company recognized Precision for its Layer 7 Cortical Interface, a high-resolution electrode array that forms the core of its BCI system. The device is designed to help people with paralysis caused by conditions such as stroke, spinal cord injury, and ALS. Recently cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Layer 7 Cortical Interface can record, monitor, and stimulate electrical activity on the brain's surface. It is designed to be implanted using a minimally invasive technique and to avoid damage to brain tissue, instead conforming gently to the surface of the brain. When used as part of Precision's full BCI system, it will enable users to control digital devices—such as computers and smartphones—using only their thoughts. The Fast Company list honors companies developing bold, scalable solutions to major global challenges. A panel of editors and reporters evaluated more than 1,500 entries based on impact and potential to improve society. 'The World Changing Ideas Awards have always been about showcasing the art of the possible,' Fast Company's editor-in-chief, Brendan Vaughan, said. 'We're proud to recognize the organizations and leaders that are making meaningful progress on the biggest issues of our time.' Inc.'s 2025 Best Workplaces list highlights companies with outstanding workplace culture. The selection process included an audit of benefits and an employee survey by Quantum Workplace, evaluating management, perks, professional growth, and overall satisfaction. Michael Mager, Precision's co-founder and CEO, said, "We're proud to be recognized both for the impact of our technology and the culture we're building. In the past year, we've advanced our clinical work—testing our device in more than 40 patients to date—received our first FDA clearance, and grown our team, adding extraordinary talent across science, engineering, and operations. Our mission is ambitious—and it's made possible by the people here who are determined to bring this life-changing technology to those who need it." ABOUT PRECISIONPrecision Neuroscience is working to provide breakthrough treatments for the millions of people worldwide suffering from neurological illnesses. The company is building the only brain–computer interface designed to be minimally invasive, safely removable, and capable of processing large amounts of data. To learn more about how Precision is connecting human intelligence and artificial intelligence, visit Contact:media@ ABOUT FAST COMPANYFast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication Inc., and can be found online at ABOUT is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Spine zapper that means despite her paralysis, Sarra can now brush her daughter's hair again
Scaling Mount Snowdon would be an achievement for anyone. But for Sarra Wilson it's even more impressive. Sarra was paralysed from the chest down in September 2018, when she fell from her horse Lorenzo after he was startled by a pheasant as she rode across the family farm. Sarra broke the fifth vertebra in her neck – and her life changed in an instant. The accident left Sarra, 39, unable to walk, with minimal movement in her arms, hands and trunk – meaning even sitting around a table to enjoy a normal meal with her husband and three children was impossible. But now Sarra has regained some movement and sensation after taking part in a UK trial, described as a 'gamechanger' for the 110,000 in this country living with paralysis as a result of spinal-cord injury. Every year, around 4,700 people in the UK suffer a spinal-cord injury, with falls and road traffic accidents the leading causes – around 12 per cent are the result of an injury sustained during horse riding or rugby. 'Usually when the spinal cord [the nerves and tissue which carry impulses from the brain to the body] is injured, it's pinched or crushed rather than severed or torn because it's protected by the bony channel called the spinal canal,' explains David Baxter, a consultant neurosurgeon at the Whittington Hospital in London and associate professor at University College London, who was not involved in the trial. 'If you suffer a crush injury, the nerve fibres in the spine, called axons, which transmit electrical signals from the brain to the body and back again are damaged – which causes paralysis.' This 'primary' injury can also lead to bleeding and swelling in the spinal cord, which further reduces blood flow and worsens the extent of paralysis, leading to 'secondary' injury, adds Mr Baxter. 'As a result, a scar forms which makes it difficult to repair the nerve fibres, and there was little hope of improvement in these patients – until now.' For the new trial, called Pathfinder 2, ten participants, who had a chronic spinal injury at least a year before, which had left them paralysed, had electrodes attached to the skin on the back of their neck close to their injury site. These electrodes were then connected to an external device that delivers electrical stimulation set by a programme technician to each participant's injury and requirements – greater movement in their arms, for instance. At the same time, they carried out targeted rehab activities – such as stacking cups or gym-type exercises, using adapted standing rowing machines, for example. The idea is that once the nerve fibres had been 'woken up' by the stimulation, the exercises help re-train them to send and receive impulses. 'The electricity isn't being used to directly move the muscles but instead find and recruit nerve fibres, with some of them responding better than others to different energies,' says Mr Baxter. Part of the aim of the trial was to find the best level of stimulation to use. It's thought doing this over a sustained period – each participant had 120 two-hour sessions over a year – helps to create new pathways in the brain to improve movement, he adds. 'We know that spinal-cord injuries cause reorganisation between groups of cells in the nervous system which control movement, and so this approach was aiming to remedy that by targeting them more precisely,' says Mr Baxter. All the participants found their hand grip, dexterity and trunk control improved, meaning they could position themselves better and move in their wheelchair enough to do everyday activities such as eating at a table. Gains made did not plateau even after a year, which suggests the therapy offers long-term benefits and people might see further improvements if continued. Three participants had their classification of spinal-cord damage changed to reflect their slightly improved function – while another, who was paralysed from the waist down, was able to take her first unsupported steps since 2017. It's hoped that following these results, due to be published in the journal Neuromodulation, the ONWARD ARC-EX System which delivers this therapy – already approved in the US – will be approved for use in Europe and the UK by the end of the year. 'Pathfinder is a very positive step for people with spinal-cord injuries where previously they had little hope of restoration of function or walking and using their hands again,' says Mr Baxter. And, he says, even seemingly small improvements can hugely improve someone's quality of life, which Sarra would heartily agree with. After her accident, Sarra, who runs a farm with husband Adam, 40, in Houghton Conquest, Bedfordshire, realised instantly that she couldn't move. She was flown by air ambulance helicopter to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, where X-rays revealed she'd broken a bone in her neck so badly it resembled a 'smashed up digestive biscuit', she recalls a doctor saying. Sarra underwent an eight-hour operation to take bone from her right hip to replace the broken vertebrae, stabilise her spine and support her head. She was put into an induced coma for two months before being moved to the National Spinal Injuries Centre in Buckinghamshire in December 2018. Sarra finally went home in March 2020 – after 18 months in hospital – having spent much of her time strapped to a bed unable to move her head. The accident also affected her bowel and bladder function. 'I went home in a wheelchair,' she says. 'I'd been told early on that I would never walk again.' After being discharged, Sarra attended weekly physiotherapy at the Neurokinex centre, a not-for-profit organisation providing rehabilitation for people with paralysis in Hemel Hempstead. It was through them she was invited to be part of the Pathfinder trial, which began in March 2021. 'I was keen to try anything,' says Sarra. 'When I was connected to the machine and it was switched on, I'd feel a tingling pins and needles-type of sensation.' At the same time, she did exercises focused on her arms, hands and core. This included 'using a standing frame that supported me in an upright position, I could use a hand bike – where I'd turn pedals with my hands – or lift light dumbbells, for instance'. Sarra hoped for 'little wins', she says: 'I wanted to be able to hold and sip a hot drink from a normal cup without using a straw, which I can now do. 'I can brush my daughter Isla's hair too – but, annoyingly, I can't brush my own as I can't lift my arms high enough. Best of all, I can now sit at the dinner table with my family and feel normal.' Tara Stewart, chair of trustees at the UK charity Spinal Research, which funded the study, and who was paralysed from the chest down after falling from a horse in 2015, believes it is 'a gamechanger'. 'When I had my injury, we were told that a spinal-cord injury was incurable,' she says. 'We now have this system that restores some function. It demonstrates that a spinal-cord injury isn't incurable and at the very least is improvable,' says Tara, who was also on the trial but did not experience any major changes. Mr Baxter is now running a trial called ImPRESS at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital to see if electrically stimulating the base of the spinal cord after an injury can improve bladder and bowel function – as the majority of patients with spinal-cord injury experience significant loss of control of these. 'People can develop recurrent urinary or kidney infections that can cause complications and, in some cases, prove fatal,' he adds. For the trial, 18 paralysed people with bladder and bowel problems will have an electrode, attached to a small battery, implanted under the skin at the base of their spinal cord, where it will deliver electrical impulses to the spinal nerves that control the bowel and bladder. Participants will then carry out 12 weeks of daily pelvic floor exercises. The results will be published next year. Later this month Sarra will be pushed and hauled up Snowdon in her wheelchair by her team of 16 helpers, including family and friends, to fundraise for Back Up, a charity which transforms people's lives after spinal-cord injury. 'Going up Snowdon is something I would never have contemplated before the trial,' she says. 'But the treatment has given me the ability and the confidence to try more things.'
