GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Heather Hahn is a living miracle.
"I want to live life to fullest," said Hahn, a Twin Cities native.
Last year, Hahn underwent surgery to remove a spinal cord tumor.
"So I went to get it removed in Feb 2021, and the first surgery, they lost all connections to my spinal cord, so three surgeries later, I woke up paralyzed from my waist down," she said.
Hahn thought she would never be able to walk again. "When you're paralyzed like that it's like it's all gone, you just sit in bed and cry."
She joined Allina Health's Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute's ABLE: Activity-Based Locomotor Exercise Program, spending the last three months fighting to regain strength in her legs.
"The ABLE program is an intensive fitness program," said Carrie Shogren, a clinical supervisor with the program.
Even on her days off, she kept working toward her goal inside the facilities fitness center with a newfound perseverance.
"It took a while for the toe to wiggle, and when it wiggled, I was like something's happening and it's going to happen," said Hahn. "My mom was paralyzed from a stroke and I think that made me very determined to walk."
And now – Hahn is walking on her own.
"We never really know how far a person is going to go, with Heather's story, it goes to show how hardworking she is," said Shogren.
Inspiring others to face adversity head on, with the help of staff in the program and her own strength to keep going.
"Even on those days when I just wanted to lay out on bed and cry my eyes out, you know the (physical) therapist just sat here and said, "you have to do this, you have to keep fighting," said Hahn.
The ABLE Program is a complete fitness and wellness program that incorporates locomotor training, neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) and guided fitness activities to encourage muscles and movement below the level of injury.
Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute ABLE Program is one of only six community fitness and wellness facilities in the entire nation—and the only one in Minnesota—that is part of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation NeuroRecovery Network (NRN).
To learn more about the program, visit the site here.
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