Robotic legs and supreme effort help Bríd take her first steps

SUSPENDED in a harness and strapped to robotic legs, Bríd Courtney experiences a sensation commonplace to most of us, but singular to her.

For just the second time in her six short years, she is walking. To experience this motion, she must travel from Ardfert in Co Kerry to the First Step Rehabilitation Centre in Patrickswell, Co Limerick, a round trip of approximately 200km. Her grandfather Paud Murphy has brought her to the clinic.

In a family familiar with superhuman effort – Paud’s wife Margaret represented Ireland in the pentathlon in the Munich Olympics in 1972 – Bríd’s is the greatest. Born with cerebral palsy, she is severely physically handicapped and in normal circumstances would never experience walking. The Lokomat, an automated intensive locomotion therapy machine, has given her this opportunity.

Although it will never alter the fact that she cannot walk, the exercise alone may help strengthen muscles and improve circulation. In addition, the weight-bearing nature of the exercise may help strengthen bones at risk of osteoporosis due to lack of use.

The Lokomat, a Swiss invention, offers exciting possibilities, including the potential to re-learn how to walk.

According to Senthilkumar Periyasamy, chartered physiotherapist at First Step and director of Right Therapy Care Ltd, the Lokomat helps improve mobility that’s been lost or reduced due to stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, multiple sclerosis, and other neurological diseases and injuries. “The repetitive walking pattern helps the brain and spinal cord work together to re-route signals that were interrupted by injury or illness,” Senthilkumar says.

Maura Moriarty, the mother of 10-year-old Cathal, is hoping the Lokomat will improve her son’s gait.

She has great faith in First Step – it was here her son learned to walk at age six – after just three and a half weeks attending the centre.

“When I brought Cathal home from hospital after he was born he was constantly throwing up. He had been throwing up in the hospital, but nothing was diagnosed. As time went on, he didn’t meet his milestones. He couldn’t sit up, he couldn’t stand. Eventually a GP picked up on a kidney problem.”

At the age of six, Cathal still couldn’t walk. Last week he made his First Holy Communion and made his own way to the altar where he read a prayer. Maura believes the Lokomat will help get him on a more stable footing. For this reason she is part of a major fundraising campaign to pay for the €300,000 machine. (the only other Lokomat in the country is for inpatients at the National Rehabilitation Unit in Dun Laoghaire). She is supported by Joan Kelly from Co Tipperary, whose 13-year-old daughter Edel was left paralysed from the chest down at the age of five following a traffic accident. Joan believes the benefits of the machine will help build up Edel for whatever health challenges may lie ahead. Senthilkumar promises it will be available to public patients at the operating cost of the machine.

An open day will take place at First Step tomorrow for Kerry supporters of the Lokomat machine. Anyone can send a donation to Coiscéim Eile, the charity set up by Joan. The bank account details are: Bank of Ireland, Cashel, Account No. 90-40-68-98, Bank Sort Code 90-59-77

To contact First Steps Rehabilitation Centre, call 061-320330.