A Twin Falls doctor who was paralyzed in a car crash at the age of 22, then painfully learned to walk again before starting medical school, is climbing Mount Borah today – the state’s highest peak – to raise money for a piece of high-tech rehab equipment that his hospital, St. Luke’s Magic Valley, doesn’t have, but that he says could help patients suffering injuries like his.

Dr. Jonathan Myers, who walks with the aid of a brace on one leg, is accompanied by 28 other climbers on the ascent, which began at 3 a.m. today. “Reading the summit demonstrates that we are committed to bringing this device to the Magic Valley,” he said in a statement. “I don’t give up. I have never quit anything in my life. I won’t quit this.”

The rehab equipment, called the Neurocom Balance Master System, costs $125,000. So far, the “Borah for Balance” fundraising campaign has raised more than $100,000 toward it. “The Balance Master is part of the standard of care for balance and vestibular rehabilitation,” Myers said. “It is a state-of-the-art device that allows a treating therapist to rehabilitate patients with balance and vestibular disorders.”

Myers deferred his admission to medical school for a year while he recovered from his accident, and decided to pursue physical medicine and rehabilitation in his medical career. The Balance Master equipment is available in Boise and Salt Lake City, but Myers said it’s needed locally for his patients at St. Luke’s Magic Valley. There’s more info online here, and info on how to donate here.