now he is at the kennedy krieger y stitute in baltimore for uttensive therapy. to be a conductor when you grow up? uute flaccid myelitis, or a.f.m., has ravaged his body. ge has a tube to help him breathe, and only slight thvement in one hand and one foot. >> i do have hope for these kids! >> reporter: rebecca martin manages the rehabilitation center. >> they make slow, incremental progress, and they really can change their functional level with the right kind of therapy, like we provide. >> reporter: that's a road christa bottomly, and her six- year-old son, sebastian, know all too well. two years ago, when a.f.m. cases last peaked, sebastian's cold turned into the polio-like illness and almost complete paralysis. >> you ready? >> reporter: but after 2,000 hours of rehabilitation, he can get dressed by himself, feed himself, and stand. but learning to walk again has been a slow, grueling process. >> occasionally, he says things like, "mom, why can't i just talk like everybody else does, ybthout all this work?" and i said, "well, you know, god knew that you were