JEANNE MESERVE, CNN ANCHOR: From Europe, a technological breakthrough is bringing new hope to victims of paralysis. CNN London bureau chief Tom Mintier has that story.</s>TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): European researchers are calling the device groundbreaking. For hundreds of thousands of paralysis sufferers, it may be the answer to an often- repeated prayer.</s>PROF. PIERRE RABISCHONG, PROJECT COORDINATOR: The objective of the project is finally not to do miracles, because we cannot do miracles. It is only to allow a patient who is living in a wheelchair to stand up and walk, even for a few steps.</s>MINTIER: Marc Merger, a French paraplegic, is the first patient to have the device implanted. It sends electric impulses, stimulating muscles and nerves.</s>MARC MERGER, PATIENT (through translator): The idea is to have a device that one can have at home which enables you to go from one room to another walking. It sounds banal to you, but to someone in a wheelchair like me it is an enormous thing.</s>MINTIER: A thing that is not inexpensive. Each implant costs about $30,000 U.S. It will not help everyone.</s>DR. PATRICK JACOBS, MIAMI PROJECT TO CURE PARALYSIS: This definitely shouldn't be regarded as a cure for spinal cord injury. It perhaps is an alternative means of returning some function, perhaps the ability to obtain an upright stance and take some steps, but it definitely is not a cure.</s>MINTIER: Gabrielle Tronconi is one of six people scheduled to get the implant this year.</s>GABRIELLE TRONCONI, PATIENT (through translator): I hope I will be able to reduce my disability and be able to do more things than I can do right now. I hope I will be able to walk.</s>MINTIER: The program is part of a European Union-funded project with research in Britain, France, The Netherlands, Germany and Italy. While these latest results may be a first step, for patients, it may be the most important one. Tom Mintier, CNN, London.
European Technological Breakthrough Bringing New Hope to Victims of Paralysis