Gregory Perry is taking life one step at a time.

        Mr. Perry, 29, has been paralyzed from his chest down since he suffered a gunshot wound Feb. 8, 1996, on his way to work.

        He was shot twice. One bullet entered his abdomen, damaging his spinal cord and causing the paralysis.

        Since spinal reconstructive surgery last August, the Silverton man has been on the long tedious road to recovery.

        As each day dawns, his wonders how many steps he will be able to take. One. two, maybe three or four before he gets tired.

        “It makes me really tired,” he said. “After taking a few steps, I have to rest for almost seven hours. I am in a process where my leg muscles are learning again what walking is.”

Greg Perry (center) of Silverton receives assistance from volunteers Roy Mangham (right) and his daughter Darlene (left). (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

        He said taking steps is the second phase of his therapy. “The first phase was strengthening my leg muscles and standing. I had to stand for one hour, two times a day,” he said.

        He depends on friends, family and members of his church, the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Woodlawn, to help him with the therapy.

        Roy Mangham and his daughter, Darlene, are part of the volunteer corps helping Mr. Perry. They took him through the walking procedure Wednesday night at their home in Mount Airy.

        Mr. Perry said he does not have the money to get into a therapy program so he is depending on voluntary help. He has to try taking steps twice a day.

        Mr. Perry has plenty of upper-body strength because before his surgery he put himself through grueling physical therapyat home 10 hours a day, six days a week. His mother, Linda Edwards, conducted a fund drive with the help of the Mount Zion Baptist Church Benevolence Fund to raise $30,000 last year for the surgery.

        Surgery was performed by Dr. Carl C. Kao, in Quito, Ecuador. Dr. Kao is a neurosurgeon who directs a spinal cord clinic in Washington, D.C.

        He said the surgery involved implanting nerve cells into an empty space in Mr. Perry's spinal cord.

        “When the empty space collapses, it causes nerve fibers of the spinal cord to be disrupted, causing the paralysis,” Dr. Kao said.

        He said 70 percent of the people who have the surgery have been able to walk with special boots and a walker.

        Dr. Kao's assistant, Barbara DeVine, a therapist, set up the therapy program for Mr. Perry.

        Mr. Perry said he is confident that he will walk again. Last week, Mr. Mangham and Randall Mincy, a deacon at Mr. Perry's church, were building parallel bars in Mr. Perry's home in Silverton.

        “It costs anywhere from $2,500 to $5,000 to buy the bars. We can build the same thing for about $70,” Mr. Mangham said.

        Mr. Perry said he needs volunteers. To help, contact him at 791-3477 or by email; ltnbone@aol.com.

       Allen Howard's “Some Good News” column runs Sunday-Friday. If you have suggestions about outstanding achievements, or people who are uplifting to the Tristate, let him know at 768-8362, at ahoward@enquirer.com or by fax at 768-8340.
       
       

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