Testimonials

Veteran Jason Gieser was paralyzed from the chest down in a tragic motorcycle accident. But, after receiving access to the Ekso suit, Gieser was not only able to receive increased mobility, but also finally get relief from nerve pain resulting from the accident. For him, the ability to stand again has been priceless.

You can’t put a price on walking. You can’t put a price on someone’s ability to be 6 foot tall again, and stand up and kiss your wife—stand up and hug your daughter, or your son. There’s no price on that. There’s no price on getting those small treasures—the small things that seem insignificant when you have the ability to do them, but they become so significant when you no longer have that ability.

Devices like Ekso being made available to veterans can have significant health impacts if the users are able to access it on a regular basis.

A member of the Army Reserves for a decade, Dan Rose was injured by an Improvised Explosive Device in 2011 while in Afghanistan. The blast was estimated to have come from approximately 1,000 pounds of explosive and him left paralyzed from the chest down.

However, after getting access to advanced medical technology, Dan Rose remains active, regularly downhill skiing and wheelchair racing. He also plays sled hockey, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair football. He enjoys hand cycling, mountain biking, and he has recently picked up riding a longboard skateboard from his chair. Dan’s always enjoyed living an active lifestyle, and thanks to SoldierStrong, that hasn’t changed since his injury.

“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.”

When veteran Matt Ross (Ret. Army) suffered a devastating spinal injury while working on his farm, doctors said he was lucky to be alive. They also said he’d never walk again. But, with his daughter getting married the next year, Matt had different plans: He was going walking his daughter down the aisle. And, thanks to SoldierStrong and Matt’s unflinching drive, that plan became a reality.

“If that Ekso hadn’t of pushed me forward…I probably wouldn’t be at the point I’m at now. I don’t think that I would have progressed that fast.

You get all your freedom back again. Instead of being confined to a wheelchair for the rest of your life … You can stand up. You can walk. You can do the things that you used to be able to do.

After my accident, the first time I stood up … the rush you got, the feeling you got, there’s just no explanation for it.”