DETROIT – A Detroit woman is preparing to experience new possibilities through mobility, thanks to a robotic exoskeleton she’s been testing for several months.
It has been quite the journey for LaTasha Washington. She’s on a mission to discover a new type of independence.
Washington has spent years in physical therapy at DMC Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan.
She’s been paralyzed for nearly two decades. Her life changed after waking up, unable to feel her legs, back in 2005.
“The first thing I thought about is maybe I got too relaxed,” Washington explained. “I didn’t really think that being paralyzed.”
Now, the journey is shifting. Washington has been part of a pilot program for months. She’s been training to take steps on her own, using a robotic exoskeleton by ReWalk. The battery-operated exoskeleton is a wearable brace. Washington’s able to control it with a watch on her wrist.
Her companion, Zach, and physical therapist, Kyle Weishaupt, are close by each session. They’re monitoring each step Washington takes.
“Now, she can get up in this device, walk for about a half hour to 45 minutes, and get all of the benefits that you and me get everyday when we’re walking around,” Weishaupt explained.
The brace is a new beginning. It’s one Washington said she never thought she’d have, because the devices are costly.
“You always think about opportunities and being able to get up and walk,” Washington said. “And then you see something like this and it’s almost like I’ll never get to afford that.”
The ReWalk device now belongs to Washington. Insurance is helping to pay for her brace.
Taking it home means she’ll be able to stand, move about her house, or walk the park.
“I’m excited when I get the first time to be able to walk up my street,” Washington smiled.
She said the journey with her new brace is about exploring new possibilities, one step at a time.
“It’s a new independence that I’m looking forward to,” she said.
Washington graduates from her ReWalk training program next week. She’ll be able to explore life at home with the device after the ceremony.