The Silver Lining

When David Blancarte was bitten by a poisonous spider, he never guessed the incident would have a happy ending. Blancarte, of Manteca, CA, had spent 21 years in a wheelchair after a motorcycle accident, but the spider's bite somehow reactivated the nerves in his legs. Now, he's walking again.

When Blancarte went to the hospital for treatment, the physical therapist used a device that gave him a slight electrical jolt. He felt the current in his legs. Doctors told him the spider bite woke up nerves that had been dormant. Since then, therapy has helped him walk again. "It's a beautiful feeling," he says.