Myre shares story to help others
Mark Myre is back in the press box to call football games and doesn’t miss announcing a high school basketball game thanks to new technology to help him live with progressive MS.
The longtime Central Illinois sportscaster, known for his coverage of Pontiac Township High School sports on both the radio and online, is trying to get insurance companies to cover a unit known as the L300 Go system from Bioness.
“This keeps your leg in the air,” Myre explains. “You can exercise with this and get stronger on the exercise bike.”
Myre, who serves as general manager for Sports Thread of Illinois, admits he never would have gotten up to the Pontiac football press box this fall without Bioness.
“I really think if we get to the right insurance people, they’ll start covering this around the country for families and everybody involved,” adds Myre.
L300 Go is meant for MS patients and stroke victims to keep a foot in the air. Myre considers it a bionic machine which is “unbelievable.” While he is not getting endorsed or paid for the product, he hopes to get the word out to help others in similar situations.
Myre does two treatments a year for his condition and thanks all of the doctors involved for helping him along the way.
“The main thing we are dealing with now is my drop foot,” Myre said.
He first found out about the system while in Chicago when he was thought to be a good candidate to use this. Myre was able to golf over the summer and start fishing again.
“I can’t thank OSF therapy enough from last fall. It has been amazing.”
The website bionessrehab.com notes the L300 Go system helps to correct foot drop and thigh weakness using functional electrical stimulation for those dealing with the effects of stroke, multiple sclerosis or other conditions.
Irregularities are detected by the device which then deploys stimulation to the weakened or paralyzed area so users can lift their feet properly when walking.
As for high school sports broadcasting, Myre can’t wait to start another season calling Pontiac Indian basketball on Eye On Central Illinois alongside his broadcast team of Tim Scott, Jake Green and Ben Maier.
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