'U' student overcomes disease to walk again

She was 16 years old when a doctor looked her squarely in the face and told her she would never walk again without the assistance of a cane or a brace.

But this Sunday, Therese Franco, Rackham student of ergonomics and industrial hygiene, plans to run in the Festival of Lights 5K Run/Walk at Domino's Farms.

"She's our little star," said Nursing sophomore Amanda Dean, one of Franco's roommates.

Franco, a 15-year-old high-school student in 1991, woke up one Friday the 13th morning in September and attempted to walk after getting out of bed.

"I fell flat on my face," Franco said.

Without any explanation for the fall, she was immediately taken to an emergency room. She received crutches, but doctors did not give a diagnosis until two months later.

Finally, she was diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy. Franco could not use her left leg for four months from the time of the incident.

Pulled out of school, Franco studied at home and started treatment with nerve blocks. It did not work.

On New Year's Eve, 1991, surgeons removed part of the left lumbar sympathetic ganglia - eight inches of nerve near her lower back. "It was a pretty dramatic treatment," Franco said.

The doctors were very encouraged by her improved circulation, but growth had been stunted in her leg from past problems and orthopedic difficulties still persisted.

"The doctors told me I could keep my leg, but would always need a cane or a brace," Franco said. "That's when they told me I would never walk un-aided again."

After much treatment and physical therapy, doctors came to the conclusion she would be alright, but could not "be a weekend warrior or play for the NFL," Franco said. "I was pretty disappointed because I had been figure skating for 10 years."

She started swimming and eventually joined her high school team and then a recreation league called United States Master's Swimming.

"I had fitness goals, not competitive goals," Franco said of USMS.

While swimming, Franco developed back pain and physical therapy did not help. Other treatments made her problems worse, Franco said.

Trying to put an end to her problems, University Pediatric/Orthopedic surgeon Robert Hesinger and Robert Nobler, a neurosurgeon at Thomas Jefferson University, performed a posterior tibialias tendon transfer with achilles tendon lengthening on Franco.

With continued therapy and the help of the surgery, Franco walked across her graduation stage un-aided and on Aug. 2, 1998, she could run again.

"It was the most liberating thing," Franco said. "To be able to just walk out of my door and be able to run - it was just amazing, I couldn't stop laughing."

Franco ran a 5K at the Cold Turkey Trot at Michigan State University with friend Todd Cisler.

Since then, she had to beat, with medication, a low blood pressure problem which caused her to pass out in in opportune situations.

Sunday, with another friend of encouragement, Jim Braun, a well-conditioned Franco plans to run again.

"Day to day life is where it's at," Franco said. "The holiday season is a time to appreciate that."

12-11-98