Jim J.

Meet an early pioneer of an implanted neuroprosthetic to restore hand function for paralysis

Pioneers are not made; they are missioned. Conventional thinking points to scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs as the sources of innovation. They definitely have a hand in the process, but we often forget the influence that the end-user, or consumer, has on the technology innovation process. Jim was one of those pioneers that shaped generations to come in neural prosthetics. Jim was an average guy, born and raised in Northeastern Ohio. He graduated from the University of Akron with a mechanical engineering degree and went to work for Firestone in Ohio. He had a loving family and married the love of his life. He had his beloved hobbies like playing pool, scuba diving and working on his green Chevy Camaro. The oldest of six, Jim spent much of his free time with his family and his younger siblings.

One summer afternoon, Jim dove into the lake to cool off on a hot summer day after helping to paint his sister’s house. He hit a shallow spot, compressing his head into his spine and paralyzed him immediately. Jim couldn’t move and couldn’t feel a thing. Being the first on the scene, his sister, Judy, pulled her brother to the surface in a panic to save him. “I can’t feel a thing,” Jim said. From that point on, Jim entered the world as a high quadriplegic, unable to move his four limbs, care for himself, or create the mechanical drawings that he loved to do. Life would be forever different. Jim later became one of the first people to try an experimental implanted neural prosthesis to restore function in his hands and arms….this was back in the 1980.

Remember: We are standing on the shoulders of pioneers like Jim.

Learn more about neurotech applications for spinal cord injury.