New medical equipment at St. Luke's Hospital helping a man with his rehab

A Cedar Rapids man is slowly on the road to recovery. 25 year old Ryan Jansa disappeared in May while out celebrating a friend's graduation from the University of Iowa. Just a few hours later, someone found him unconscious behind a bar.

A doctor told the family that he may have been hit by a car. He suffered extensive injuries, and his recovery has taken him to Ankeny, and now Saint Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids.

He has been using a medical device called a solo step there. It’s a rock climbing rope attached to a trolley. The rope is also attached to a harness. It helps Jansa stand up whenever he loses his balance.

Jansa explains, "[It] helps you get back to being comfortable with your independence and walking by yourself.”

He uses it while doing activities like kicking a soccer ball, and shooting a basketball. With each step, Jansa regains strength and coordination to one day walk without using a cane.

He says, "Just being my age, I want to be independent again."

Jansa’s physical therapist Keven Komenda applauds his hard work. He says, "He's a great kid. He works very hard. Every time he goes to therapy, he puts his best effort into it. His parents are very supportive and that helps as well. Nobody works harder than Ryan.”

Jansa hopes to one day look back at this as learning experience. He says, "To be grateful for some of the stuff you take for granted."

The hospital got the solo step a month and a half ago through a 40 thousand dollar grant from the St. Luke's Foundation.