Alaric Bridgeman had a massive group of fans and supporters cheering him on as he took his first steps after becoming paralyzed, PEOPLE reported.

At the start of December the toddler started experiencing concerning symptoms, and doctors soon diagnosed him as suffering from a rare inflammatory disease called Transverse Myelitis.

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The disease affects the spinal cord, which is responsible for sending impulses from the brain to nerves in the rest of the body. Symptoms typically develop suddenly and include sensory problems, weakness in the lower extremities, and even bowel and bladder weakness.

Alaric’s symptoms ultimately left him completely paralyzed. After he was admitted to the hospital intense physical therapy began in hopes of helping the youngster regain movement in his legs. In late December, Alaric began displaying intentional, independent movement, so the hospital knew they were on the right track.

That’s when the tough work began for the little boy, where he attended two physical therapy sessions every day. When he wasn’t in his therapy session, Alaric enjoyed walking through the hospital with his dad, where they made lots of friends hospital staff and other patients.

Soon, everyone’s hard work paid off, and Alaric was able to finally move independently again (with the help of a walker). The emotional moment was captured on video and posted to the hospital’s Instagram page, where it has garnered lots of support from all over.

 

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A post shared by Akron Children’s Hospital (@akronchildrens)

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In the video you can see the toddlers infectious smile as he proudly cruises down the paper road laid out for him by hospital staff, and after he crossed the finish line, he triumphantly collapsed into the open arms of one of his therapists.

In the post, the hospital writes:

”It was a very exciting day to send Alaric home and see all the incredible progress he has made!”

On their website, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke explain that most people who develop Transverse Myelitis do go on to regain at least some of their mobility, and in some cases all mobility is returned. We wish Alaric the best of luck and hope he continues to heal and makes daily “strides” towards getting back to his old self again!

This piece originally appeared in UpliftingToday.com and is used by permission.

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