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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 Langevin was first elected to Congress in 2000 and became the first quadriplegic to serve in the US House. — Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN, 18 Jan. 2022 Twelve people died in the May 2019 mass shooting in the Virginia Beach city offices, and Britt was left a quadriplegic. — Washington Post, 22 Feb. 2022 Langevin is the first quadriplegic elected to Congress. — Catherine Garcia, The Week, 19 Jan. 2022 The recall was prompted by an accident in which a rider became a quadriplegic after a quick-release lever on the front wheel came into contact with the disc brake. — The Editors, Outside Online, 22 Apr. 2015 Friday's indictments include charges for Murdaugh's handling of the aftermath of a wreck that caused a deaf man to end up quadriplegic. — Jeffrey Collins, USA TODAY, 22 Jan. 2022 Bamberg is also representing the family of Hakeem Pinckney, a deaf man who Murdaugh represented after he was rendered a quadriplegic in a 2009 car crash. — Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 11 Jan. 2022 He was hospitalized for weeks and diagnosed as a quadriplegic, losing movement from the top of his rib cage down. — Natasha Dado, PEOPLE.com, 13 Jan. 2022 The young man, who was already deaf, was rendered a quadriplegic in a 2011 car accident and was placed on a ventilator. — Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 6 Jan. 2022 See More

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.