Question
My friend's father fell out of a tree and was on the ground for 6 hours until someone found him, he has severed his c3/c4 vertebrae and the doctor's are telling him he has little or no hope of regaining any feeling from the neck down. He is not on a ventilator, he is breathing on his own. Is there a specialty center near the capital district area (Albany, NY) that could help him regain anything.  Is this a hopeless injury?

Answer
Hi Cheryl,

The Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation has a great reputation around the world and is located at:

1199 Pleasant Valley Way
West Orange, NJ 07052
Tel 973.731.3600
Fax 973.243.6819

The following web address gives a list of the top ten rehabilitation hospitals from around the United States. It has a video describing what each of the hospitals do.

http://www.5min.com/Video/Top-10-Top-10-Rehabilitation-Hospitals-in-the-USA-2615...

As for whether his injury is hopeless, my answer is never allow someone to tell you that without allowing you the opportunity to go through a rehabilitation center. Doctors have been wrong before, but be prepared for the worst. Miracles happen everyday. I will keep good thoughts for your friend and your friend's father. I hope this helps.

Sincerely, Ken