Rapid, complex spinal surgery restores cyclist Dean Otto's crushed spine after being hit by a truck. Now Otto is training for a half marathon with the driver who hit him and the doctor who helped save his life.

| 6 years ago

Dean’s Back on the Road Again

Dean Otto was nearly paralyzed in September 2016 after being hit by a truck while riding his bike in Charlotte, North Carolina. A year later, Dean is not only walking again, but with the help of the teams at Carolinas Medical Center and Carolinas Rehabilitation, he's running. In fact, exactly 365 days after his injury, he ran a half marathon in Napa, California, with the driver who struck him and the surgeon who performed surgery on him at Carolinas Medical Center. The Ellen Show featured Dean’s incredible story in their 2017 season premiere week. And NBC's TODAY show featured a story on Dean, Will Huffman (the driver who hit him) and Matt McGirt, MD, (the neurosurgeon who operated on him). Read more about Dean's incredible journey and how our physicians, nurses and rehabilitation staff got Dean back on the road again! 

Read Dean's Story

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Carolinas HealthCare System Neurosciences Institute: Learn More

 


Watch the Neurological Procedure that Reversed Dean's Paralysis

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