ENGLEWOOD, CO. - AUGUST 07: James Nall is followed by Clinical Coordinator, Julie Waldie, right, and intern Shelby Allen as he use an exoskeleton at the PEAK Center at Craig Hospital in Englewood, CO August 07, 2013. The Ekso is a wearable robot that allows people with paralysis to stand and walk through a combination of motors and sensors. By the end of the hour long session James had been standing for over 40 minutes and took 819 steps. James said the device offers more freedom that the elliptical training he practices regularly, "When it first came out it was a phenomenal addition to the rehabilitation communityÉ It does have an accurate gate pattern and It gives you a sense of freedom. In the locomat you're locked in a cage staring at a wall. As they get smaller and more affordable, I'd like to see them get into the civilian population and offer that freedom." (Photo By Craig F. Walker / The Denver Post)
A WALK OUTSIDE. Mackenzie Gorden is exhilarated to walk upright, outdoors, near the end of her summer therapy at Craig. The exoskeleton senses patients' intentions and can complete their step. Karen Gorden hopes such devices will become cheaper and more common: "I just wish it was something she could have and use; she would be so independent."
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ENGLEWOOD, CO. - AUGUST 07: James Nall is followed by Clinical Coordinator, Julie Waldie, right, and intern Shelby Allen as he use an exoskeleton at the PEAK Center at Craig Hospital in Englewood, CO August 07, 2013. The Ekso is a wearable robot that allows people with paralysis to stand and walk through a combination of motors and sensors. By the end of the hour long session James had been standing for over 40 minutes and took 819 steps. James said the device offers more freedom that the elliptical training he practices regularly, "When it first came out it was a phenomenal addition to the rehabilitation communityÉ It does have an accurate gate pattern and It gives you a sense of freedom. In the locomat you're locked in a cage staring at a wall. As they get smaller and more affordable, I'd like to see them get into the civilian population and offer that freedom." (Photo By Craig F. Walker / The Denver Post)
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By AAron Ontiveroz | aontiveroz@denverpost.com | The Denver Post
PUBLISHED: | UPDATED:
Getting your player ready...
MACKENZIE GORDEN’S STORY
Mackenzie Gorden, 19, rehabs her spinal cord injury at Colorado’s Craig Hospital. A little more than a year ago, Gorden was paralyzed in a roll-over accident near her hometown in rural Iowa. Gorden never believed doctors when they told her she would never walk again.
