Keep on showcasing things like this. The general public would prefer to learn from the two of you rather than reading the New England Journal of Medicine....👍👍
For real. I have been a subcriber for a couple of years now and I have learned SO much and y'all are so real and honest - and it's VERY respected and appreciated.
Cole, my son Chris, c6/c7 since 2002, always said, 'walking is not the issue'. 'I want to be able to use my hands again, to regain my self esteem'. Love you guys. Stand more often, it is good for your blood pressure. Hugs.
I'm a c5/c6 incomplete going on.3years was completely paralyzed from the shoulders down and that is the same thing I prayed for. I was like I can live without my legs but please give me my hands back. I'm so grateful I've gained a decent amount of hand function back, they are numb but I can grab things.
What annoys me as A lvl C5-C6 quad is that people want to classify each person with a disability as one group without knowing that each injury differs and Cole explained it perfectly .Unfortunately many still don't get it even after explaining it .
I had my L4-L5 discs that paralyzed me twice. When I tell people my story they think I'm like glass but definitely not true! It's crazy how people just think oh you had a bad injury so I'm going to put you in this box of extremes! "I'm like please don't! I now have a healthy back and can do the unthinkable but still have to be able to listen to my back just in case it decides to go crazy again." To have people actually treat me like a glass doll is awful and the fastest way to not have you as a friend
I agree you wholeheartedly. As neurologist always remind us, sci's are like snowflakes with each one uniquely different. I'm a C/6, Asia C, Incomplete SCI, fourteen years post injury. I actually had more function at two years out, than I do now. This is partly due to tethering of my cord, and also, as with any chronic condition, the injury is simply aging.
@@coleandcharisma It becomes an issue when applying for specialized assistive devices .It's always the reasoning that because the disability might be the same the person who has to approve it expects every one to be able to use the same medical equipment just because you share the same level injury but they overlook the fact as you so wisely explained that everybody has different capabilities. I know of Quadriplegics my level that can do things I just am not capable of and I can do things they can't . People who are placed in positions to approve specialized assistive devices seem to not understand this , yet they are in these positions to determine if you get an approval or not . So frustrating . Thank you for the upload . 👍
Charisma, I'm physically disabled I thought my husband was the best human being in the whole wide world, I have to say he's not. I have now added you to the same love box that I have him in. My husband & Charisma demonstrates LOVE, PATIENCE, CARING, UNDERSTANDING, KINDNESS. I never thought I would ever find my soul mate but I have been married 22 years however I have been with him for 35 years, it was me, I was afraid to trust anyone. Boy was I wrong. Love him to the moon & back. I love you Charisma you are a true soul mate to Cole. Love ❤️ you guys
I totally agree with upper extremities as well as bowel and bladder function. Until you have a SCI or help someone with SCI you just don’t understand how important it is.
I've been paralyzed 42 years, they have been saying it's close for longer than that. I'm still paralyzed and living a full life. Live your life first! Still have never been in an airplane to fly, they break wheelchairs.
I was born with cerebral palsy not expected to even live. Im now 43 with 5 kids that i take care of. People like you are why i am the way i am. I hurt everyday but my kids literally keep me going and i stay active. I love watching you both. Good luck on your journey to becoming parents!
@coleandcharisma, have you tried reaching out to them? I think you would be a great candidate. Thank you for the science lesson and explaining it. It's so interesting we definitely need more of this kind of content.
Only 2 min into the video and I’m so impressed by Sophie! What a good girl. I would love to see a video kind of all about Sophie, maybe showing us all the things she does to help etc. Tbh, I just want to see Sophie lol. So cute!
My son has the same stander. I love that they can be moved from room to room. We (he) uses it everyday, unless he's sick, and he's able to do 40 minutes. Yeah, even parents of special needs kids brag about their accomplishments!!
@LoveYourself You shouldn't have to be purchasing this. Just ask your Doctor or Physical Therapist to write a Prescription and have them send it to your Insurance company to get approval. They know the ins and outs of how to do this. It has so many potential benefits for SCI patients I'm sure your Doctor or PT can get it to go through easily.
I firmly believe that Cole will be able to walk one day and have the upper extremities and be able to move his upper extremities. Because you never know what could happen in the future
Hi Cole, you can help your joystick knob from falling off by putting a piece of plastic from a thin disposable glove on the pin of the joystick and then push the knob back on.
Ur right... Having full use of ur arms would be the #1 most amazing piece of recovery... I love to seeing Cole using his stander.... as long he can handle it❤
All of these scientific developments are so exciting. I do believe you will walk or do whatever you want to do again. The science is accelerating and will get to a point where it will help you Cole.
For someone who has been in n around the spinal cord injured since 1981 (I'm a amputee w/c user and prosthetic walker), this is one of the few times I took away some interesting and thought provoking information from a Cole video. Otherwise I watch just because I've been around my community so long it is just a warm fuzzy to watch you Cole. Stay fresh and keep teaching the able community about our otherwise ordinary lives. I think it helps enquiring minds break the stigma of us being different from them or even non-productive. BTW love your fur baby!
@@lindatoliver2267 Not interested in coming at another persons opinion. The right to think and feel freely is all good. Be well n prosper Linda. Just keeping walking every mile in your own shoes!
@@lindatoliver2267 Not backhanded at all. Many come here to learn, but this commenter knows this stuff already and comes here for just general vibes and connection. Nothing wrong with that. Didn't say that Cole and Charisma aren't educational, just that they themselves are already educated.
That is a great point Cole brought out. The need for upper extremities research. I agree with you guys. That would be a great achievement. I get it. The wrists and arm control mean more freedom for a quadriplegic than legs.
That is very exciting! I lost my right thumb to cancer, back in 1990. And I miss that one single digit, every day. We don't realize how much we use our small muscle articulation, until we lose it. I can see where being able to use your fingers and grip something would be a huge improvement in your life. Walking is great, but when you get to where you're going you need to be able to do what you wanted to do! I think being able to use my hands would definitely be more important than being able to use my legs.
Despite all you have been thru Cole, you have been so positive & cherish every day that you have. You have an amazing life with Charisma & Sophia. I know that one day you will walk again. I can't wait to see this. My family sends your family love & prayers🙏🙏
Cole, you are so knowledgeable and articulate re: the recent study in Pittsburgh. Have you thought about doing graduate work in Neuroscience and pursuing employment in that arena? You are young and have a lot to share with others! Thank you.
I JUST LOVE TO SEE YOU GUYS HUGGING AND JUST LOVING EACH OTHER. MANY BLESSINGS TO COLE, CHARISMA, SOPHIE AND PRAYING FOR THE NEW BABY. DON'T MIND ME, I HAVE BEEN PRAYING FOR A LITTLE BABY FOR YOU GUYS. I HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME AND LIFE WITH MY 2 CHILDREN. THANKS FOR SHARING. LOVE Y'ALL
HEY, just incase you two don't Think you make a huge difference in peoples lives already I want you to know that I have chronic illnesses, I am disabled, I have a service dog, but I am completely isolated and mostly bed-bound. Every Sunday I get really excited because I know that Cole and Charisma and Sophie will be making an appearance And I will get to enjoy a video of your life. So I want you guys to know you gotta keep doing this!! Because you're touching people's lives in ways you don't even know about. I have a question for you. Do you ever worry or what do you do so that Cole does not get pressure sores? I know that's a real serious situation. I've watched people end up literally in bed for 5 months because they had to operate on the bone it was horrible. So, you guys really never talk about that much and i'd like to know more about it. Another thing is can you show us the tasks That Sophie was trained to do to mitigate Coles disabilities. I would love that. You know, everyone in California says they have a service dog when they don't. they go on the Net they pay a $175 and they walk away with plastic cards that look like they're from the government. Pieces of paper On & On and it makes me sick. Anyways thank you guys. Have a beautiful evening
Thanks so much for your kind words! It really means a lot. Regarding pressure sores, fortunately I don't struggle too much with them. I think it helps that I'm pretty active and shift around a lot in my chair. We also keep a close eye on my skin and make sure any issues are addressed immediately!
I have a spinal cord stimulator implant to help manage my chronic pain! I got my first scs implanted in 2017 when I was 21, and it changed my life. Unfortunately, it broke and had to be replaced in 2020. But I am still so grateful for my implant! It allows me to do a lot more with a lot less pain. (I had three back surgeries before that, starting at the age of 13.) Science is so cool! And now I get to call myself a cyborg. 😎
I love that you brought up the hope for upper extremity regeneration. I am a C1/C2 inc quad, fortunate to have decent arm and hand movement, but very little finger function. I was, and am an artist, and although I have an orthosis to help me grasp my art tools, and I have adapted my techniques to work within the limits of my disability, wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to regain better function. For me, this is purely hypothetical, as I am not a candidate for any surgery. Couldn’t even have surgery to stabilize my neck after my injury. But I can dream, and hope for others!
You two are just WONDERFUL! Real love! Love it!! Love the support and motivation you both provide to each other. TY for showing true love with couples.
Thanks for educating us all. Even without a neuroscience degree I could still follow. Sophie girl was part of the education. Thank you. Never stop educating
Thank you for putting this in understandable terms! You did an excellent job! Once standing video a month might be doable! Great job explaining the benefits of the machine Charisma! The hug is the best part!
Love hearing your takes on the various ongoing researches. Am definitely interested in upper body developments - the potential in benefits is so important. Thanks again for a great video, guys.
Thanks for taking about this Cole, I saw this guy and sent you a link. You’re correct we all think about getting people walking again which is huge BUT forgetting the upper body limitations which are also hugely limiting/frustrating. I really do hope research will continue at this level so you and others can benefit in some way. It’s really interesting, complicated and no one person is effected the same with spinal cord injuries which I’ve learned from you. You are obviously so knowledgeable and aware Cole. Please let there be further significant breakthroughs 👍🏻🥰🙅♀️🙅♀️
I love seeing the progress for spinal cord injuries! I worked rehab in the 90's and actually took the national certification as a rehab nurse. It was physically challenging but to see progress in patients was awesome. There's hope for the future! STAY POSITIVE!❤
I love your neuroscience nerdiness, Cole----makes your ol' UR neuroscience prof proud! You're right, the research is getting more sophisticated and effective every day. We need more neuroscience ambassadors, so keep the information coming.
Thank you ! Thank you for sharing your view of the world and to share so much information. Keep at it! Great mindset! There is no wall you cannot break !!
I been gone for so long I feel so bad!! But I think I’m about to have a binging moment with y’all!!! Love the new home and I’m still staying positive ❤❤❤ love the video and all the new information on this!
Cole you’re very brave and inspiring for trying and for sharing. You have a supportive wife and she’s your cheerleader. Together you both bring a lot of hope to the world and our generation. All the best to you both.
This was an excellent video. Loved the SCI research information and the sweet affection shared while standing. You are a inter-abled power couple working together. Sophie is a precious wonder dog. She is so helpful, obedient and sweet.
Another great video! As a wheelchair user with congenital SCI I love your content. I too remain emotionally unmoved by all the progress happening because even if it gets very good and becomes applicable to the wide array of SCIs, it's not going to be available to the vast majority of disabled folks because we have a huge problem with the medical insurance industry in America.
I'm grateful with my c5/6 I've come from being completely paralyzed from the shoulders down to being able to stand and take steps with a walker which I'm so grateful for because osteoporosis runs in my family and weight bearing is so beneficial for SCI patients. Thank you for bringing awareness. Your channel is the first I watched when I first became injured and it helped me cope with my new reality.
I just found your video and RU-vid channel today. I work in clinical research and most of my subjects are nonambulatory for the specific clinical trial I am working on. (Neuromuscular study). Today I was feeling discouraged and heavy hearted while reviewing charts. Seeing your RU-vid made me really happy. I think about my subjects a lot and wonder what their lives are like. But seeing you happy and in love made me see that I shouldn't be sad or discouraged. You really helped me today. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing the science part of your injury. It was very cool to learning about how important it is for you to stand. Charisma and Sophia are both rock stars. So thanks for the video. Stay safe and god bless
Wonderful team work is a blessing. You both are a blessing to each other an inspiration to the world. Cole you are amazing, keep up the great work of togetherness. God’s richest blessings of healing to you. 🙏
Cole & Charisma, I have recently subscribed to your channel. I love the way you both have a great relationship. Nothing stops you from accomplishing another feat. I know it is not easy about all of it. The reason that I have said it is because I also was in a study for Gait Analysis for my birth injury years and years ago. This felt good to see myself standing and walking with normal gait. I was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at 15 months old. I understand how it would be able to have this wonderful experience to be able to have movement without having any type of physical discomfort. The part of not having the movements is painful. I am dealing with it on a similar and different level. I have stable mobility with a walker. I feel independence and freedom. I understand you so well, Cole! You are an inspiration!! Charisma, you are a wonderful and beautiful woman and wife to Cole. God Bless.
Great info and delivery so that viewers can better understand that while similar, not every SCI is the same. I could not agree more on finding ways to provide us with upper body mobility. I am a C6-C7 incomplete SCI since the age of 16. I am now 49. Yep, 33 years post injury and married 22 years this coming December. Like, you Cole I will never be able to walk due to my SCI, but also because I had a below the knee amputation about 7 years ago from an infection in the bone. While I am very independent, my husband does quite a bit for me. Having upper body mobility would be a game changer. I could use a manual chair instead of electric chair, transfer myself, do my own bowel regimen, cook a meal, do my own hair, and so many more things. Just having upper body, Mobility would make a world of difference, healthwise, and in many other ways. You guys keep up the great work you’re doing. I wish you a happy and long marriage like
I haven't watched you guys for awhile but not from lack of interest, there is so much information on RU-vid in the form of other content providing. This particular video was very enlightening and it was great to see you both. Marriage has done you both so well. Thank you for sharing this particular content, I am amazed at the progresses made in development to improve the life of those with disabilities.👍👍👍👍
This is a significant breakthrough and shows promise , how exciting and motivating for you to look into the restorations of the brain pathways . We appreciate and honored that you are sharing this personal journey . Your channel is an inspiration for all of us.
Cole, I gotta say, you’re more than an inspiration and I don’t mean that as a cliche. You ARE living out what it means to take a disability and turn it into a superpower. I live with chronic pain myself, though not in a wheelchair (yet), and watching your videos has brought me encouragement more than I can express. You and Charisma are my heros! Love you both. ❤
I REALLY enjoyed this video. Why? I enjoyed this video because I learned something. I had already heard about the guy that scientists had helped to walk using brain transmitters, etc., but to be quite honest, I was MORE impressed with the information that Cole provided! Cole’s information was very detailed, thorough and informative. He was a wealth of information as far as this subject was concerned. It’s funny because the Scientists, Media and Manufacturers, etc., they don’t tell you this information. They just want you to be wowed and see that they’ve made a Paralyzed man walk but Cole dissected each aspect, theory and premise and fully explained the process. Great job Cole. It was also enjoyable and heartwarming to see this loving wife share tender moments with her husband; embracing one another while he stood on his feet. I Love you guys and I only wish you the best!😃💜💙💜
I am so supportive and so happy for you two in your lives, relationship and business. I know you get negative comments yet I hope you continue to show in videos like this how normal you two are, a normal loving couple figuring things out as you go in life. I love how you face challenges and seize the day, ok not all days but most of them, lol. It is good to see you and Cole hold each other in a standing position which I am sure is special for you both. Congratulations on all you are doing. Peace and stay positive!!!!!!!
Awesome video, I have faith that miracles are still happening and I just want to shout out to all the disabled don't quit just before the miracle, I pray that all will be encouraged and keep the faith.
I wish good things were to come for many other disorders that are constantly overlooked such as Ehlers Danlos, which is what I have 😔 but hardly anyone cares of knows about it.
Hi Cole and Charisma! Always Great seeing you! At least once a day, you should take the time standing! If not everyday, at least 4 to 5 days a week! God Bless You Both, such an Awesome Couple!
You looking good Cole and Charisma still have that glowing in her face still waiting on some news about the baby journey stay positive and peace love you both ❤️
You guys are so amazing!! Thanks for the explanation I’m paraplegic and every quad i know focus on their hands function first. People think everyone want to walk first
