GoSkins561 Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 Paralyzed Woman Finishes London Marathonhttp://news.yahoo.com/paralyzed-woman-finishes-london-marathon-183217122--abc-news-topstories.html For five years, Claire Lomas hasn't been able to walk, hasn't been able to feel her legs. But that hasn't stopped her. She was once a professional horse rider, her blond hair flowing underneath her white riding cap. But in 2007, a freak accident paralyzed her from the chest down. She spent all her time in a wheelchair, at least until January. That's when she started walking again, thanks to a $75,000 bionic suit. "It's amazing after five years of sitting down to be back on my feet," she said earlier this year, "and it's fully weight-bearing and I can walk in it as well." Each time she steps forward, her suit hisses a sound not dissimilar to Robocop. The ReWalk and two canes support her, and the suit senses when she wants to walk and shifts her weight for her. But it's not easy. Each day, when she started, she could take only 30 steps. Every moment was a chore, and because she couldn't feel where she standing, she always feared falling over. But that didn't stop her, either. Loman set out to walk 55,000 steps – or 26.2 miles. She set out to run the London Marathon. She started, alongside 35,000 runners, 16 days ago. Today, in the shadow of Buckingham Palace, she finished -- to the screams of thousands of fans who came out to support her. rest of article at link Amazing, good for her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teller Posted May 8, 2012 Share Posted May 8, 2012 My hat is off to her. What an amazing accomplishment for an able-bodied person, let alone someone with that kind of paralysis. Likewise, my hat is off to the doctors and engineers who made this suit work for her. Great story all around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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