Paralyzed Veteran Seen On Video Walking For First Time In Almost 30 Years

Jan 26, 2019 by apost team

You really never know what is going to happen to you in life. One day you are going about your job, the same as the day before when something happens that completely changes you. Many times, it changes your life for the worst. However, you still have to press on and do everything you can to make life the best that it can be.

Dean Juntunen is an Air Force veteran who is now 59-years-old. He once worked as a missile launch officer with ICBM. Unfortunately, his career was cut short in 1991 from a freak accident that paralyzed him.

As he was taking down a rope swing from a tree, he fell 30-feet to the ground when a branch that was holding him snapped. The fall broke his back, paralyzing him and landing him in a wheelchair.

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However, Dean was not ready to give up his active life that easy. He continued to participate in as many activities as he could as the years went by, even though he was confined to a wheelchair.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports that Dean has been in 91 marathons since his accident. It definitely sounds like this strong veteran won’t say no to any type of challenge that comes his way.

So it was not surprising in the least that he said yes when a spinal cord injury clinic, the Zablocki Veteran Affairs Medical Center of Milwaukee, asked him to try something that could help him walk again.

This VA was in the middle of conducting a study involving robotic exoskeletons. They wanted to see just how they could change a persons’ life. That is just why Dean found himself strapped into one.

A motor is what helps to power the joints that work the areas around the hips and legs. A computer is mounted in the back to take care of all the necessary calculations. Dean could initiate different movements by using a dongle that he holds in his hand.

According to The Ironwood Daily Globe, Dean stated that it was so much fun to actually stand since he hadn’t stood up from his chair since 1991. He is paralyzed from his rib cage down, so being able to “stand” again is an amazing feeling.

However, he did add that walking around with the exoskeleton is not the same thing as just strolling around with your own legs. He said that it feels as though he is riding the robot, not actually walking.

Zach Hodgson is one of the physical therapists who helped Dean train. He said that Dean mentioned it felt as though he was walking on stilts when he used the exoskeleton. But according to Dean, it is still a very amazing experience to be upright and moving without his wheelchair.

Joe Berman is the project manager in charge of the operation. He is hoping that this could help veterans in the future, saying that the “sky is the limit.”

Check out the video of Dean walking below:

What did you think of this exoskeleton project? Leave us a comment and then pass this inspiriting story on!