After a blood-filled cyst in his spine burst in 2010 leaving him paralyzed from the waist down, Dr. Ted Rummel thought his career as an Orthopedic surgeon was over.
But through hard work and dedication, he is back and continues to operate on his patients today, using a stand-up wheelchair for assistance. Dr Rummel spent a year in rehab, learning how to use his wheelchair and getting accustomed to his new method of performing surgery.
After a year of intense improvement, Dr Rummel was able to regain his life as a surgeon. He made it his mission to fight the disability and get back into fitness so he could operate again.
Dr Rummel said in an interview, “When I’m able to do this and I can get a piece of my life back, it’s huge.” He was diagnosed with a cavernous hemangioma, a blood-filled cyst, on his spine in 2009.
But he did not let his disability take him away from helping his patients. Dr Rummel is able to operate on patient’s hands, elbows, feet and legs while in a sitting position and can operate on shoulders in the standing position with his wheelchair. His story is truly inspiring.