Even if I can never walk again, it is amazing to be able to use it and be more active. It definitely gives you hope. —Harry Hillen Jr., Air Force veteran “I did physical therapy for three months after surgery,” Hillen said. “I was able to get to the point of walking with a walker, but I never progressed past that point. Then I got something in the mail about this opportunity and thought this could be something that really benefits me.” Hillen’s final diagnosis is classified as an “incomplete spinal cord injury.” Put simply, an incomplete SCI occurs whenever a survivor retains some feeling below the site of the injury. “It has improved my ability to play with my kids, because my legs have gotten stronger,” Hillen said. “When my daughter was born, one of my big things was that I wanted to be able to walk her down the aisle one day. That was my motivation that kept me going, and this device is helping ensure that happens.” All of the participants in the study are using a powered exoskeleton, ReWalk 6.0, which is customized to fit each veteran properly. “To begin use of the device, a person would transfer into it while it is seated,” said Andy Dolan, vice president of marketing at ReWalk. Users buckle in and use a set of crutches positioned at their sides. The ReWalk takes physical cues from the user, as well as prompts from a wrist-worn remote control, to assist the user in sitting, standing and walking using knee and hip motors and a programmed stepping algorithm. “It’s difficult at first,” Hillen said. “The first time I put it on, it was a little scary. You know, it is new. You get a little bit nervous, wonder if you’re going to fall, but being able to make the leg movements that you would normally make is pretty amazing. It gives you the hope to keep going. I can see and feel my legs being able to do more than before.” “Studies like this show us what an important impact VA research has on the lives of disabled veterans,” said 10 Deputy National Legislative Director Adrian Atizado. “Especially as we’re seeing such a significant increase in SCIs among this current generation of warfighters, we must continue advancing technology that will give them the greatest quality of life possible.” “This study is particularly exciting because, while others have had very encouraging results, this is the first to study individuals with SCI using these devices at home for a multi-month period,” Dolan said. “The VA’s funding and execution of this study is a crucial step in understanding the impact exoskeletons can have on a person’s quality of life and the reduction of their secondary medical complications.” For Hillen, the ultimate goal is to be able to walk again and do more with his kids. “Even if I can never walk again, it is amazing to be able to use it and be more active,” Hillen said. “It definitely gives you hope. It has given my kids hope also to go through it with me. I think it has made them stronger.” The study has an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2021, but Hillen’s wife, Heather, said she has already seen improvement. “The device gave him the help he needed to be able to stand up and take actual steps,” she said. “The look on his face when he is using the ReWalk is a look of accomplishment. The pride he showed when he learned how to operate it was a face I had missed seeing. I have felt our family getting closer to him as a husband and a father.” Hillen is hopeful that the study will prove to be beneficial and therefore help more of his fellow veterans in the future. “It’s all about seeing what it can do for other veterans,” Hillen said. “It’s about other veterans and improving their lives. Many veterans are worse off than I am, and I think this technology is pretty awesome.” ■ DAV MAGAZINE | MARCH/APRIL 2020 | DAV.ORG