Unable to move or feel the lower half of the body, typically due to injury or disease affecting the spinal cord.
From Greek 'para-' (beside, beyond) and 'plege' (stroke, blow). The medical term literally means struck on both sides, referring to paralysis affecting both sides of the lower body.
The Paralympics movement, founded in 1948 with World War II veterans, transformed the term from purely medical to proudly athletic—Paralympic athletes have fundamentally changed what the word means!
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