Manitowoc Veterans talk about visualizing walking again
MANITOWOC, Wis. (WFRV) – Navy and law enforcement veteran Tom Traurig suffered a spinal cord injury on April 17, 2023, when he had a seizure and fell at home.
Since then, he's been hard at work and has slowly regained minimal control of his arms.
Doctors said he could greatly benefit from the care of specialists at the VA in Milwaukee, and the community rallied around him to raise money so he could buy a wheelchair-accessible van, allowing his wife Linda to drive him to appointments.
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Tom shared with Local 5 News about an additional Reiki therapy, a Japanese technique used to relieve stress and promote healing.
'A lot of people think it's mumbo jumbo,' said Traurig. 'But it's all about manifesting what you want to happen to yourself.'
He said he visualized himself as a tree and his feet were the roots.
'Picture a big ball of light coming up through my body, and as that's happening, I'm saying to myself, 'I am healed. I will walk again.' And you just keep repeating all good thoughts, and that ball of light comes up through the top and then back down again.'
Not too long ago, he says, during one therapy session, he felt his legs again.
'I felt my legs moving. I had a premonition when that session was over that I'm either going to be walking by the end of this year or the beginning of next year. And that's my focus now.'
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Traurig and his wife Linda have shared their experience publicly because so many people in the community know him for the more than 20 years he served on the Manitowoc Police Department.
Because his injury was not service-related, veterans' benefits would only go so far to cover the cost of care.
Both say they are grateful for the special bed, shower, and other equipment the benefits provided for home care.
But they needed a little extra help to cover the cost of a safe way to transport Traurig to the very best doctors more than an hour away. By having their own van, they had a flexibility that ride services could not provide.
To be clear, Reiki is not his only treatment. He only wants to share with supporters all that he is doing to walk again.
Please consult with your own personal medical professional before embarking on any treatment plan.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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