 Okay the last part of the program before lunch is a patient story. The patient's name is Robert Summers who was featured in the video that Rod Pettigrew had shown earlier in doing his opening remarks. Will you be speaking from there? Coming up? Outstanding. Please welcome Robert Summers. First of all I'd like to thank the NIV for having me here today. I'd like to thank you for your generous funding at Dr. Reggie Edgerton at UCLA and Dr. Susan Harkin at the University of Louisville. What you guys have done has changed my life. I met Dr. Edgerton and Dr. Arkma more than five years ago and their team of dedicated scientists and it is because of years of their dedication that people living with paralysis will now have hope of having a better quality of life. During the process of being the first human patient to ever go through this experimental procedure the scientists have not only become my friends but my family as we spent years striving for the same goals. When I first started training for the epidural stimulation project I had no idea what I was in store for. I decided to give it all my time and my body to the project with the knowledge that what I was doing today would not only benefit myself but benefit those coming up behind me. I knew that by giving everything I had to this project was the only way for myself to gain potential gains but also was the only way for the scientists to learn more about what we were working on. But to be the first in something I feel that it's always very important to understand and educate yourself in what you're about to go through. So with this in mind I started researching and reading a number of published articles dating all the way back to the 1950s. And this way I gave myself as much of an understanding of the procedures I was about to go through and had a better understanding of how I could help the doctors work with them. After reading these publications and using my background as a college athlete in knowledge of sports and sports training and the use of stimulation in sports training I thought this was a perfect fit for me. So I went into this experiment with no expectations other than I was going to give it everything I had and hope for the best. I think this is the only attitude you can have when going into an experiment such as this. As I've always been told great things don't happen overnight it takes many hours and many years of dedication and lucky for me I was joining a team that had done such that putting in a number of hours and a number of years of dedication into the Epidural Stimulation Project. Being part of the experimental process was both exciting and fun and mostly being able to see all of the different sensors on my body and being able to see what was going on in real time as I was regaining new sensations and muscle activity. It was also long hours in the lab and was very physically and mentally draining, demanding to be able to push through new sensations of fatigue that I hadn't felt in years. But at the end of the day it was worth every minute I spent in the lab. The most obvious benefit came on the third day of the experiment when I stood for the first time in more than four years independently. But that was just the beginning of the benefits I was about to see from the Epidural Stimulation Project. The first thing I had started to notice was an increased sensation throughout my entire body when the stimulator was turned off. This was great since now I could feel when I was uncomfortable and was able to adjust myself. This made sure that I wasn't going to get any pressure sores or skin breakdowns which are a huge risk for people living with paralysis. The increased sensation also made me realize that my overall circulation had improved while the stimulation was turned off. I noticed this because my skin started to clear up and regained a healthy color as opposed to a grayish pale color. Circulation is a very important issue for people living with paralysis since it helps reduce the risk of blood clots and also creates for healthier levels of blood pressure. With the increased circulation I also regained the ability to sweat. It sounds different but it was a welcoming thing. This allowed me to stay out in the heat longer and keep my body cool whereas before I could only spend no longer than 30 minutes out in the sun on a hot day. Now that I'm able to sweat normally I can get back outside and do the things I love such as coaching baseball and helping out with youth organizations. I've also been able to be able to tell the difference between hot and cold whether it's cold outside on a cold day I know when to put more clothes on or when it's hot out I'm able to, like I said, sweat and control my body temperature. The epidural stimulation has also helped my lung function. I've been able to get longer, deeper breaths while working out. I've been able to cough without any assistance, which again sounds unusual but as a quadriplegic I didn't have the lung abdominal strength to cough without help. So better lung function helps be in many aspects of someone who lives with paralysis. Better breathing, being able to cough allows me to break up the stuff in my lungs to avoid certain issues like pneumonia. Some of the biggest things I noticed that came back were the bladder and bowel function. This has given me the ability and freedom to go and do things I please so I can go out in public before I can go on long plane rides and not have to worry about bathroom issues or on accessibility issues. And if you were to ask anyone living with paralysis on a daily basis what the one thing is they'd want to get back, the number one thing they would all tell you would be bladder and bowel function so they can be more independent without having to live and rely on other people for those types of issues. I've also regained sexual function without use for any medication or any other devices. This is very important for people living with paralysis, especially those who are trying to start families and live a normal life. Certain interventions can become very expensive as well and lead to costly medical issues down the road both for the insurance company and the general taxpayer with Medicare and Medicaid. All of these have come back while the epidural stimulation has turned off. But when the stimulators turned on, I have the ability to stand with a walker now and I can also move my toes, ankles, knees and hips all on command which is huge in taking the next step to literally be able to take the next step. Each one of these I have gained back or have seen a great improvement each one of these things I have seen a great improvement on is great by itself but when you put them all together it's absolutely unbelievable and it has completely changed my life from where I was five years ago. It has allowed me to be independent again and but more than anything it's given me my confidence back into IM. So I'd like to again thank the NIB for everything they do and continue to please fund all these great things so that in the next ten years my story will just be another regular story. Thank you very much.