'I don't want this dance to end:' Free clinic helps Waukesha man reach very important goal

WAUKESHA -- Told he would never walk again -- a Waukesha man is proving them wrong. A free clinic is helping him reach a very important goal.

Brian Baker knows each step is not promised.

"When I first had my stroke, they said I would never walk again," said Baker.

Baker had a stroke in 2008 when he was only 27. His wife was pregnant at the time, and he had a goal.

"I told my wife: Two things that I'm fighting for are, I want to be around for my daughter so I can walk her down the aisle one day. And I want to be able to dance with her at her wedding."

However, about a year later doctors told him that wasn't going to happen.

"They said I was as good as I was going to get, and that I was plateauing," said Baker.

His insurance would no longer cover physical therapy.

However, Baker soon found Carroll University's Therapeutic Therapies Clinic, known as TAC. At TAC, physical therapy with students from Carroll's program is free.

"It's a win-win situation. The students benefit from being able to learn from the clients, and the clients benefit from being able to work with the physical therapy students," said Vickie Ericson, senior lecturer at Carroll University.

Brian has come twice a week for the last decade. He's making his goal a reality.

"I don't want this dance to end," said Brian Baker.

He's already dancing with his daughter. Students took video of the moment.

"I was like I can't believe I got my dream completed," said Baker.

With time to perfect the dance before her big day, Brian lives by this motto.

"You don't stop when you're tired. You stop when you're done," said Baker. "Never give up. Because you never know what you're capable of until you're totally done."

The clinic is currently full -- but they are accepting patients for their active waiting list.