Michael Johnson will travel to Portugal for treatment that could heal his spinal cord injury
Sixteen year old Michael Johnson’s passion is racing.
More specifically: racing dirt bikes. By age 12, the Mount Morris resident had won 14 national championships on his dirt bike. Then disaster put his motor bike dreams on hold.
On August 13, 2005, Michael lost control of his motorcycle and crashed.
“I went through a wood fence and fractured my T5 and T6 vertebrae,” he says.
He was paralyzed from the waist down. Years of pain, hard work in rehab, and regular doctor’s visits followed. Michael committed himself to staying active and positive. With the help of his family, he got back on the track, racing go-karts, winning more championships. However he says that is not enough. He has two goals.
“Walking and getting me back on a motorcycle,” he says smiling.
Now, he is taking a risk, hoping the dream will come true. In just weeks, Michael will fly to Portugal. There doctors will perform an experimental surgery not allowed in the United States. They will take stem cells from his brain, then inject them in his spine. The hope is that with therapy, his spinal cord will heal.
His parents know the risks and costs. The surgery and therapy are expected to cost about $70,000. However they say they believe this will be Michael’s miracle cure.
Michael is not the first American to undergo the procedure in Portugal. Michael says he met a woman with injuries similar to his. She is now walking.
He hopes he is the success story that helps bring the operation here to the United States for others.
“It makes me kind of mad sometimes, that the laws over here won’t let you get it done,” he says. "I really hope this does work, and people waiting know that with a lot of hard work you can pull it off."
