Robotic Suit Helps Paraplegics Stand Tall and Proud

HAIFA, Israel

After two decades of having to look up to people around him, Radi Kaiof is now looking them straight in the eyes. He’s also standing, walking, and climbing stairs: no small feat for someone paralyzed from the waist down.

Radi, a former Israeli paratrooper who was paralyzed 20 years ago while serving in the military, has been participating in the trials of a new robotic suit called ReWalk. Motorized leg supports aided by crutches function as a sort of electronic exoskeleton, powering the 41-year-old's legs to move forward in stride. Body sensors and a back pack containing a computerized control box and rechargeable batteries allow the wearer to chose a setting with a remote control wrist band -- stand, sit, walk, descend or climb.

"I never dreamed I would walk again. After I was wounded, I forgot what it's like," Radi beams.
"Only when standing up can I feel how tall I really am and speak to people eye to eye, not from below."

ReWalk is the invention of Amit Goffer, founder of Argo Medical Technologies, a small Israeli technology outfit. Goffer’s inspiration to help others comes in part from that fact that he himself is paralyzed, though he cannot use his own invention because he does not have full function of his arms.

"It raises people out of their wheelchair and lets them stand up straight," Goffer said. "It's not just about health, it's also about dignity."

Kate Parkin, director of physical and occupational therapy at NYU Medical Centre, explains that the benefits to standing and walking are great not just for the body, but also for the mind:

"Physically, the body works differently when upright. You can challenge different muscles and allow full expansion of the lung. Psychologically, it lets people live at the upright level and make eye contact."

After our recent post regarding the new control system for quadriplegics, it's great to see even more good news in the arena of health innovations for those living with paralysis.

http://news.aol.com/health/article/robotic-suit-helps-paraplegics-walk/146700

One Small Step: 15 Year Old Girl Walks for First Time

At birth, Jingle Luis' feet were severely malformed: an extreme case of clubbed feet, hers were upside down and twisted backwards. Walking was impossible without complete reliance on crutches. Because Jingle also suffers from mild spina bifida (a life-shortening spinal cord defect) doctors in the Philippines had found her unqualified for corrective braces or surgery as a child. When a staff physician from the Montefiore Medical Center in New York traveled to the Philippines for a Christian Mission, however, she was discovered and the Bronx hospital agreed to perform the surgery for free! By inserting pins into her feet and slowly turning them, Jingle's doctors were able to correct her condition.

Slipping on a pair of pink and white sneakers (the first shoes she'd ever worn) Jingle then took several steps all on her own. While she'll have to wear support braces for about a year in order for her bones to reset, she is expected to make a full recovery. Move over Jordan... if Jingle doesn't deserve a sneaker sponsorship, nobody does!

For the original story and photos of smiling Jingle, check out this link:

http://news.aol.com/health/story/_a/girl-with-twisted-feet-takes-first-steps/20080703092009990001