In a historic moment, the Department of Veterans Affairs has decided to provide robotic legs to veterans paralyzed by spinal cord injuries. The move could help many veterans who thought they'd never walk again regain their freedom of movement.
For years, veterans have petitioned the VA to provide the costly exoskeleton, which at $77,000 is much too expensive for most former servicemembers to afford. CBS News reported in 2014 that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first-of-its-kind robotic legs, called the ReWalk system, after it proved incredibly successful with paralyzed patients.
"I'm just so excited; I wish I had it on," said Robert Woo – who was crippled after his construction trailer was crushed by seven tons of falling steel – at the time of the approval. "I could just jump up and down. It's a great leap forward for a lot of us who are confined to wheelchairs."
On Dec. 10, the Associated Press was informed by the VA that it had distributed a memorandum to its staff on ReWalk program training.
Dr. Ann Spungen, lead researcher on the VA's team, said that "The research support and effort to provide eligible veterans with paralysis an exoskeleton for home use is a historic move on the part of the VA because it represents a paradigm shift in the approach to rehabilitation for persons with paralysis."
So far, 45 paralyzed veterans fitting the height and weight requirements have been tested for exoskeletons, which feature motion-sensitive motorized joints that respond to the wearer's balance and upper-body movements.
Former Army corporal Gene Laureano thought he would never walk again in his life after service. "I just kept remembering the doctor told me it was impossible for me to walk, and then I crossed that threshold from the impossible to the possible," he told the AP. "The tears came down. I hadn't spoken to somebody standing up in so long."