Mother learns to walk again with help from new technology at UofL Health
By Addie Meiners
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LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — After cancerous tumors and surgery on her spine, one Henry County mom is using her children and a new machine at UofL Health’s Frazier Rehab to relearn how to walk.
Kaycie Jackson, a mother of three, was told she had two tumors on her spine in 2024. She had surgery to remove them, but it left her wheelchair bound. While Jackson is cancer-free, she’s still fighting an uphill battle.
“I couldn’t even bathe my twins or anything like that in the beginning, because I couldn’t even walk. I was in a wheelchair, had to use a Hoyer lift at home,” Jackson said. “I learned to never take anything for granted because it could be snatched from me in a blink of an eye.”
She began her rehabilitation journey at Frazier Rehab, where she initially struggled to move her legs without assistance. Now, she is walking, side-stepping, and even throwing a ball while walking, thanks to UofL Health’s Zero-G 3D Body Weight Support System.
UofL Health Physical therapist Lindsay Nalley said the benefits of the machine, which is the only one of its kind in Kentucky, are that it protects patients’ balance while providing varying levels of support to help them gradually regain strength.
“With Kacey, we’ve done lots of challenges outside of the Zero-G environment. But I’m really able to get creative and find difficult ways to challenge her in that safe environment,” said Nalley.
Jackson said she’s slowly getting her life back. On Friday, she was able to drive her kids for the first time since surgery. Small wins like that, she said, are what push her to keep going.
“I’ve learned to never take anything for granted because it could be snatched from me in a blink of an eye,” said Jackson.
The Zero-G 3D equipment at UofL Health is now available for all patients at Frazier Rehab.
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