Mark Gauthier is an inspiring person who has defied the odds and conquered a debilitating disease. The 63-year-old man from Bordeaux, France, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s at just 36 years old. Parkinson’s disease is a brain condition that can make it hard for people to move and can happen for no reason or be passed genetically. The disease can’t be cured, but there are different treatments for it.

As a part of a new study, Gauthier was taken to surgery and got an experimental spinal cord neuropoiesis, which is used to help correct walking disorders in people who have Parkinson’s Disease. The surgery was to implant a simulator that rests on the lumbar region of the spinal cord and sends signals to his leg muscles to stimulate his nerves. After the surgical implant, Gauthier was finally able to step into an elevator and take a 3-mile stroll without having to stop – before, he was bound to his house.

Gauthier stated on CNN, “Walking in a store would be difficult, impossible before, because of the freezing of gait that would often happen in those environments. And now, it just doesn’t happen anymore. I don’t have freezing anymore.”

CNN also said that “…the study was published in the Journal Nature Medicine and details how the neuroprosthesis works by targeting specific areas of the spinal cord with electrical stimulation that are associated with walking.”

Marc’s story has inspired many other people living with Parkinson’s disease to consider taking up the LSVT BIG program and undergo intensive physical therapy exercises to regain their mobility and cut the impact of the disease on their lives. It has given them hope and the motivation to push on and fight Parkinson’s.