Perry Hall Teen to Run 5K Months After Paralyzing Stroke

Dimitri Farantos has been dealing with health issues from a blood disorder his entire life.

Farantos, 18, was born with a condition called sickle beta-thalassemia, which is a form of sickle cell anemia. The disease has affected his lifestyle so much that the hospital and his home served as the classroom as he finished coursework for Perry Hall High School.

On April 13, as he was in the hospital for chest pain symptoms caused by his blood disorder, Farantos suffered a spinal stroke that left him paralyzed from the waist down.

According to the National Institute of Health, a spinal stroke is caused by the hardening or closing of the arteries leading into the spine.

At the time, doctors told him there was only a 10 percent chance he would ever walk again.

But with the help of therapists and staff at the International Center for Spinal Cord Injury—a part of the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore—Farantos walked out of the facility under his own power on June 1.

After seeing so much success in less than two months, he wants to pay back the favor.

On Saturday, Farantos will join other Kennedy Krieger patients and staff in a 5K race for the Baltimore Running Festival, raising funds to help the center continue its medical miracles. He is still seeking donors through the Team Kennedy Krieger website here.

Patch asked Farantos about his rehabilitation experience and how it feels to overcome such obstacles:

Perry Hall Patch: What is it like living with sickle beta-thalassemia? 

Dimitri Farantos: Living with sickle cell is really hard, but I manage it pretty well. It has been a rough road and it always will be, but I need to get through it if I want to live a normal life. 

PHP: What was school like, dealing with your health issues?

Dimitri: I went to Eastern Tech for two years, than Perry Hall, but I had to do work at home and in the hospital because of the sickle cell. Being able to do that alone, I had all my credits and got to graduate a year early. Now, I'm in my second year of college and trying to be a nurse.

PHP: What were you doing at the time you suffered the spinal stroke? 

Dimitri: They have still not been able to clearly state what caused the stroke. When it happened, I was actually already in the hospital for chest pain due to my sickle cell. The day I was supposed to leave, I got up to go to the bathroom and kept falling. Within 24 hours, I was paralyzed from the waist down.

PHP: When the spinal stroke happened, how long were you paralyzed? 

Dimitri: I had the spinal stroke on April 13 and when it happened they told me they didn't know if I would ever move again, let alone walk. They told me I had a ten percent chance of walking again, but I walked out of Kennedy Krieger on June 1. 

PHP: What was rehab like? What was the hardest part? 

Dimitri: Rehab was hard, but seriously I had the best therapist and team including Stephanie, Meredith, and Lauren. I can't thank them enough. Honestly, I had fun in therapy with them. I kept a pretty positive outlook the whole time. So, yes, being with them made it even better. They did so much for me and I can't thank them enough. The toughest part to deal with was the uncertainty of whether or not it would work. I would ask my therapist about five times an hour if I was going to walk again and they couldn't say, but I'm just grateful. 

PHP: Have you been able to play any sports or do physical activities? 

Dimitri: I've been running on the treadmill and I've lost over 60 pounds because of it. I'm not a very big sports person, I'm more of a reality TV guy. I love the show big brother. It's my goal to be on it. 

PHP: How has your life changed since the spinal stroke and rehabilitation? 

Dimitri: My life has changed so much; I've never been more of a positive happy person. It really made me such a grateful person. I can't even tell you how much this stroke changed my life. 

PHP: Have you ever run in a race like a 5K before? How does it make you feel? 

Dimitri: It’s funny because in February I signed up for the 5K color run and the race was in May. Well in May, I was still at Kennedy Krieger. My therapist went above and beyond to try to find me a wheelchair that I could race in and they did. So my first 5K was in a wheelchair, this is my second and it is really important to me because I'm going from my first one in a wheelchair to my second one actually running in the festival with my therapist. It's pretty awesome. 

PHP: Do you have sponsors? 

Dimitri: Yes, I have sponsors. So far I have raised $900 and my goal is to get to $1,000, so I have three more days to fulfill that goal! People can donate at the Team Kennedy Krieger website. All this money goes to Kennedy Krieger’s spinal cord injury program. All together, Team Kennedy Krieger has raised over $119,000 so it's really going to make a difference and I'm glad to be part of it.