She was just glad he ended up at a hospital that had enough experience to handle her son's case. "If we wouldn't have tried these experimental drugs, he could've died from it, you know," she said.
Belken has a long road to recovery, but he is making progress.
After a four-month stay at the San Diego hospital, he was transferred to a rehabilitation facility about a week and a half ago. With the help of a front-wheel walker, Belken can now go about 50 feet on his new prosthetic legs without taking a break. He is taking such long, fast strides now that sometimes his physical therapists ask him to pull back because they are worried he might reopen some sores on his amputations.
