Alan T. Brown of Hollywood is the subject of an article in the most recent issue of Newsweek. Paralyzed from the chest down since colliding with a rock at age 20, the now 42-year-old Brown has long hoped medical technology would discover a means for him to walk again -- in effect, a cure for paralysis. But in recent years, he's adjusted his expectations. From the magazine:
It's not that he's completely abandoned the hope of ever walking again; it's just that after two decades in a seated position, he's got other issues to reckon with. He has had six major surgeries since his injury. His hemoglobin dropped from 15 to seven, and he began passing out regularly. "I'm in pain 24/7 -- I feel like my body's on fire," says Brown, who suffered 17 urinary-tract infections last year and a bout with a drug-resistant staph infection. "I've had so many surgeries -- you have to pick your battles. How you live your life now, what you do to keep yourself going -- that counts more than walking."
