Glimmer of Hope in Fight to Reverse Spinal Injuries

Dylan Alcott of Australia plays a backhand in his Quad Wheelchair singles quarterfinals match against Niels Vink of the Netherlands during day seven of the 2022 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 23, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Ten years ago Sam Bloom fell off a balcony during a family holiday in Thailand and became a paraplegic, but she still considers herself lucky.

The Sydney mother of three can move her arms, and she is determined to help people with even more severe injuries to one day be able to use their upper bodies.

“I’m still lucky as I still have full use of my arms and hands. I can’t even imagine not being able to hug my kids; it would be absolutely devastating,” Bloom told AAP.

“I'd do anything just to be the old me again, but you can’t go back in time. It’s gotten a bit easier, but I still struggle and think I always will until a cure is found.”

The Bloom family’s incredible journey of recovery, with the help of an injured magpie chick they named Penguin, was documented in the book Penguin Bloom and then turned into a feature film starring Naomi Watts.

Bloom has been told her condition is irreversible and she will never walk again, but her dream of people with spinal injuries being able to recover some function is becoming closer to reality.

Neurosurgeon and Monash University associate professor Tony Goldschlager said the science relating to spinal injuries was advancing, and researchers were starting to see results.

A big breakthrough came in early 2022, when a study published in Nature Medicine showed that paralysed patients were able to walk again after targeted electrical stimulation. Other small trials around the world have also shown promising results.

“The attitude has changed, I think 10 years ago we were much less optimistic. This has all just come so far,” Dr Goldschlager said.

Bloom and her husband Cameron are backing Australian research to explore whether quadriplegics can regain some movement in their hands and arms.

They have donated $100,000 in royalties from the book and contributions from the public to fund clinical trials through Project Spark, a collaboration between Neuroscience Research Australia, SpinalCure Australia and Spinal Cord Injuries Australia.

The experimental therapy, called neurostimulation, works by tapping into the remaining pathways between the brain and body.

The results of the research will be made publicly available, so other experts can build on the findings.

It’s giving hope to people like Alex Richter, who became quadriplegic at the age of 16 after a mountain bike accident.

“With just a little more movement in my arms, I would be much less reliant on my family and carers,” he said.

Not being able to move is just the tip of the iceberg for those with serious spinal injuries, according to SpinalCure Australia executive director Duncan Wallace.

He became quadriplegic after being hit by a drunk driver 30 years ago and is pleased new technology could address other issues people with spinal injuries face, including loss of bladder control and unstable blood pressure.

“When I had my injury and like everyone since–I was told you'll never walk again,” Wallace said.

“Now, I really don’t think a person injured today should be told that–particularly at a time when the research is making such great strides.”

Bloom is hopeful life will be different for people who suffer spinal cord injuries in the future.

“I really believe they will find a cure. I think you just need to give some people not false hope, but just hope, so they have something to live for,” she said.