Estimates show there are approximately 100,000 individuals who receive Veterans Disability Benefits have suffered spinal cord injuries that resulted in paralysis. There may be hope for these individuals to walk again though. According to an article from NBC-Connecticut, a new device called the Re-walk Rehabilitation System is giving some veterans a renewed sense of mobility.
The article examines the story of an Army medic, who was exposed to a nerve agent during the Vietnam War. The treatment she underwent left her paralyzed from the waist down; in what, at the time, she considered a “death sentence” of never being able to walk again.
Almost forty years later, she is able to walk again thanks to the unique Re-walk device. The Re-walk Rehabilitation System is a sort of computerized exoskeleton that fits around the legs and waist of a paraplegic. Upon pressing buttons on a wirelessly connected wristband, the device can be commanded to stand, walk, and even climb stairs. Once the system is activated, it responds to shifts in weight and body motion of the user. Use of the device is being lauded by users as allowing them to once again perform tasks they never envisioned being able to do again.
The Hartford Personal Injury Lawyers at the law firm of Carter Mario Law Firm are hopeful to see more innovations in technology being made to improve the lives of those who have been injured during their service in the military.