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A COMIC BOOK JUMPED OFF THE
PAGE AND IS HELPING MINNESOTA
VETERANS WALK AGAIN.
IT'S CALLED AN EXOSKELETON.
IT GIVES IRON MAN HIS SUPER HERO STRENGTH.
FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS A
SIMILAR DEVICE HAS BEEN HELPING
PATIENTS LEARN TO WALK AGAIN AT
THE MINNEAPOLIS VA HOSPITAL.
MIKE SHOWS US HOW.
FAMILY.
MY FAMILY SUPPORTED ME MORE
THAN I EVER THOUGHT THEY WOULD.
I NEVER THOUGHT IN MY WHOLE LIFE.
THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR
ME.
AFTER A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT
LAST AUGUST LEFT MINNESOTA ARMY
VETERAN DOUG WITH A SPINAL
COWARD INJURY, AND UNABLE TO
WALK, THE SUPPORT OF HIS FAMILY
AND FRIENDS LIFTED HIS SPIRITS.
IT WAS A FULL BODY WEARABLE
ROBOT AND A TEAM OF THERAPISTS
THAT LIFTED HIM PHYSICALLY.
WELL, IF YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY
NO STRENGTH IN YOUR LEGS, IT
WILL STAND YOU AND TAKE EACH
STEP FOR YOU.
AS YOU GET STRONGER, YOU CAN
GRADE BACK WHAT THE EXOSKELETON
DOES.
ONE EXOSKELETON HAS BEEN
HELPING MINNEAPOLIS VA AGENTS
RECOVERING FROM SPINAL COWARD
INJURIES FOR A WHILE NOW.
TODAY THE HOSPITAL SHOWED US
THEIR SECOND.
DONATED BY THE FRATERNAL ORDER
OF EAGLES AND SOLDIER STRONG
THAT WILL HELP PATIENTS
RECOVERING FROM THE EFFECTS OF A STROKE.
FOR DOUG THE BIGGEST SURPRISE
CAME AFTER WALKING A FEW LAPS
AROUND THE HOSPITAL USING THE
EXOSKELETON, THEN TRYING TO
WALK AGAIN, ON HIS OWN.
HE COULD TELL BY THE WAY I
WALKED AND THE WAY I STARTED
AFTER THE MACHINE, IT WAS INCREDIBLE.
EVERYTHING WAS IN LINE.
I ONLY WENT TEN STEPS THEN I
STARTED FALLING APART.
BUT TO KNOW I COULD DO IT AGAIN IS HUGE.
I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THE
FEELING IS.
THAT'S INCREDIBLE.
REALLY AMAZING.
DOUG'S PROGNOSIS IS STILL UNCLEAR.
BUT TODAY HE CAN WALK FOR UP TO
45 MINUTES.