Toledo, OH - A 42-year-old mother-of-two from Gibsonburg, Ohio, Tina Santiago is walking with confidence despite suffering from paralysis, thanks to the WalkAide.

Diagnosed in 2002 with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, Tina struggled just to walk. The debilitating effects of MS – a disease that is prevalent in Northwest Ohio compared to other areas of the country – range from loss of vision and cognitive impairments to seizures and paralysis. For Tina, the disease caused a form of paralysis in her leg, slowing her life down and making it difficult for her to care for her two young children (10-year-old daughter Hannah and 8-year-old daughter Rachel).

Now, Tina is walking with confidence, she has noticed her leg muscle strength increasing, and most importantly, she’s able to care for, play with, and keep up with her daughters.

Click here http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/story?section=news/health&id=6125793 to watch Tina’s story on ABC-TV, WTVG in Toledo, Ohio..

Tina was fitted for her WalkAide by certified prosthetist / orthotist Mike Bursztynski of Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics at 3435 North Holland-Sylvania Road in Toledo.

Featured nationally on Good Morning America in January, the WalkAide is about the size of an iPod and is worn around the calf. Using a patented sensor technology called an accelerometer and transmitting data through a Bluetooth connection, the WalkAide sends low level electrical signals directly to a motor nerve in the leg, stimulating the muscles to raise the patient's foot at the appropriate time in the gait cycle.

A study published in the September 2006 edition of the peer-reviewed journal Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair reports the walking speed of patients wearing the WalkAide increased 15% after three months of use, 32% after six months, and nearly 50% after 12 months. The study also showed the number of steps taken per day by WalkAide users increased significantly over the year.

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