Lee Sommer’s passion for flying and his pride in managing the historic College Park Airport is limitless. "This is the world’s oldest, continually operating airport and was a demonstration and training site for the Wright Brothers," he said, happy to remind anyone within an earshot.
On a regular day, doing routine tasks, Lee experienced a slight pain in his back while moving from a large fuel truck to an aircraft. What seemed to be a minor incident rapidly escalated to a cause for concern. "I went to bed feeling okay," Lee recalled, "but when I woke up during the night, my right leg didn’t work at all and luckily my partner was with me to rush me to the hospital."
Lee received a diagnosis of a cauda equina lesion, which is an incomplete paralysis that is caused through injury to the mass of nerves which fan out of the spinal cord in the lower back. Lee had lost, in one evening, complete movement and sensation in his right leg which required an immediate surgery. After surgery, Lee was told that with intensive therapy, he would be able to achieve recovery, and was referred to MedStar National Rehabilitation Network for physical therapy.
Lee expressed his gratitude, "Dr. Pamela Ballard evaluated me right away and the next day I started my regimen. The entire team at the hospital was a huge support. Harsh Thakkar, the spinal cord injury wellness specialist was terrific." Over time, with the expertise and encouragement of his team of therapists, Lee went from no movement, to being wheelchair bound, to now only utilizing a cane to help steady himself.
"This experience has been the biggest challenge in my life," Lee added, "My personal goal is to get back to 100 percent and I know my caregivers at MedStar Health are critical to achieving it. I am incredibly grateful for the care I received and the progression I made with the help of my therapist. They put me back on my feet and for that, I’m eternally thankful.