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Quadriplegia is the result of injury or illness, almost always affecting the spine. Though a paraplegic has lost the use only of his or her legs, quadriplegics are paralyzed in all four limbs. Today voice-activated wheelchairs help the quadriplegic get around, and houses can be equipped with similar systems to operate lights and appliances; monkeys have even been trained to assist quadriplegics with everyday tasks. The work of the quadriplegic actor Christopher Reeve has led to remarkable advances in developing new nerve connections, enabling some determined paraplegics and quadriplegics to walk again.

Examples of quadriplegic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Rick Hoyt was born a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy and cannot walk or talk. — BostonGlobe.com, "Hopkinton names street after late Boston Marathon icon Dick Hoyt," 21 Apr. 2021 The 46-year-old African American, who had become a quadriplegic after having a heart attack while driving in 2017, died in June at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center, six days after the hospital ended treatment for him. — Washington Post, "A bioethicist warns that informed consent is endangered," 12 Mar. 2021 Rick Hoyt was born in 1962, a quadriplegic with cerebral palsy, unable to control his limbs or speak. — New York Times, "Dick Hoyt, Who Ran Marathons While Pushing His Son, Dies at 80," 18 Mar. 2021 Rich was born a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy, CBS Boston reports. — April Siese, CBS News, "Iconic Boston Marathon runner Dick Hoyt has died at 80," 18 Mar. 2021 But midway through, Lia suffers a massive seizure, nearly two hours long, and goes from a happy, hyperactive child to a mostly unresponsive quadriplegic. — Heather Lanier, Longreads, "Out There I Have to Smile," 4 Mar. 2021 The pilot, scuba diver and Travel Channel personality trains the spotlight on such diverse explorers as a quadriplegic who climbed Machu Picchu, a pair of transgender travelers and the founder of a hiking group for Indigenous women. — Washington Post, "With travel podcasts, explore the world through your ear buds," 11 Dec. 2020 Also last year, San Diego and two of its contractors agreed to pay $56 million to a bicyclist who was rendered quadriplegic when his bike tumbled into an unattended trench. — Bob Egelko, SFChronicle.com, "Placer County pays $9.9 million to medically compromised man shot twice by deputy," 1 Dec. 2020 Michelle Bain’s mother is a 64-year-old quadriplegic who lives at Alden Estates of Naperville. — Joe Mahr, chicagotribune.com, "Rise in COVID-19 statewide leading to alarming surge in nursing home cases and deaths, health officials say," 20 Nov. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'quadriplegic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.