Head Transplant Candidate Alive and Doing Well—Without Surgery

Head Transplant Candidate Alive and Doing Well—Without Surgery
Valery Spiridonov at a press conference on 'Autopilot system for wheelchairs' on Aug. 3, 2016, in Moscow. Spiridonov was scheduled to be the first head transplant recipient, but his plans have changed. Yuri Kadobnov/AFP/Getty Images
Chris Jasurek
Updated:

The man who volunteered to be the first to have his entire head transplanted to a new body never got the surgery—but he has a new and improved life nonetheless.

Valery Spiridonov has suffered all his life from Werdnig-Hoffmann disease, which causes his muscles to atrophy. He cannot stand up, let alone walk. He has spent most of his life trapped in a wheelchair.
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