December 3. 2008 – Overcoming Personal Defeat

By: Cimaron Neugebauer

Imagine your physical limits being what you can dream up, then, in a split second, losing even the ability to feed yourself. Braden Howe knows this feeling of defeat. He also knows how to take a tragedy and make history out of it. On Dec. 12, Braden will become the first to ever with his Spinal Cord Injury condition to graduate from WSU.

His life took a dramatic change in the fall of 1996, when Braden was 13 years old. He was involved in an auto-bicycle accident, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. He has a spinal cord injury, the same condition as the actor Christopher Reeves, meaning Braden had to use to a ventilator.

One night, Braden’s father Lindsay was watching an interview with Reeves on TV, and saw a new experimental surgery being performed on Reeves. The surgery utilizing the NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System™ could improve the quality of life for many who suffered from spinal cord injuries.

The new minimally-invasive surgery involved the implantation of four small electrodes into the diaphragm. These electrodes receive electronic pulses that contract the muscles in the diaphragm, allowing an individual to normally breathe without the assistance of a ventilator.

Lindsay decided this is what they needed to do for Braden.

In 2006, Braden flew to Cleveland, Ohio to have the NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System implantation surgery.

Braden was the 25th person in the clinical trial study to have the surgery done. With the NeuRx DPS™, Braden needed to retrain his lungs to breathe again. He started out with being able to breathe for 30 seconds without the ventilator. Currently, he can be off the ventilator for about 10 hours. Most users can be off the ventilator for a whole day.

The FDA approved the NeuRx Diaphragm Pacing System™ in June 2008.

Braden has accomplishments ranging from becoming an Eagle Scout, to volunteering in the community, and even being an Olympic torch bearer in 2002.

Jeff Morris, WSU director of Students with Disabilities, “Everybody just loves him…he is delightful to work with.” “Going through college is a challenge for anybody,” Morris said, “but for Braden it’s been like an overwhelming challenge.”

Braden’s contagious attitude caused him to be invited to be a guest speaker at Roy Jr. High earlier this year. He spoke to a group of more than 700 students, and is now being invited to speak to other schools.

Braden recently wrapped up an internship in Salt Lake City for a web-design advertising company, and has interviewed with a company in Ogden. He was also part of the National Disability Campaign by being in a disability promotional video aimed at stimulating companies to hire the disabled. Braden plans to graduate in less than two weeks with a BS in the Telecommunication Business program from WSU.

“If I can do it,” Braden said, “anybody can do it, because I have had my trials, and you can see them. You always end up learning something new."”

When asked about his dream, he said with a laugh, “I don’t know yet. I’m still working on that one.”

Braden Howe has made history at WSU, but when asked about his personal best so far, he still feels his biggest accomplishment is, “that I get through the day.”