Mr. Graves was paralyzed from a virus in his spinal cord, which Barth Green, MD, chairman of the department of neurological surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Miami Project to Cure Paralysis co-founder, treated.
Dr. Green operated on Mr. Graves in a 12-hour procedure to release some of the adhesions and blockages to restore arm use, leaving Mr. Graves paralyzed only from the waist down. The procedure also stopped the virus from spreading.
After his procedure, Mr. Graves became an advocate for the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and spoke at fundraisers in addition to other events raising awareness.
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