Gifted ExoSkeleton Give Paralyzed Phoenix Vets Hope

PHOENIX - Back in 2011, heavy rains and mud kept U.S. Army Reserves veteran Dan Rose and his crew from their regular patrol, giving insurgents a chance to bury the bomb along the road. After the deep mud dried out, the vehicle commander, gunner and driver returned to the area. During that trip, a 1,100-pound explosive device was triggered. The blast severed Rose's spine.

Doctors told Rose he would never walk again. On Tuesday, the man threw the opening pitch at the Diamondbacks game.

The feat was made possible with the a so-called "exoskeleton," a device donated by a non-profit to the Carl T. Hayden VA Medical Center in Phoenix.

“I had given up on walking and thought of it as a pipe dream, so to be able to stand on my own two feet and walk across a room was a very emotional experience. The first time I stood up I realized I’d forgotten what it was like to be eye level with everyone. It was like standing on top of a mountain,” Rose told the Associated Press.

“I guarantee that this donation will change lives because it will provide a spark of hope and rekindle enthusiasm for the future.”

The donation was made by non-profit SoldierStrong, an organization that helps rehabilitate wounded veterans. They have donated 16 exoskeletons to VAs across the country. One exoskeleton costs more than $200,000, and once the physical therapists are trained on the exoskeleton, it can be used to help up to eight patients per day.

Nationwide, the Department of Veterans Affairs has been studying the impact that exoskeletons have in rehabilitating paralyzed veterans. Specifically, whether the devices can reverse the loss of bone density and muscle atrophy.