VA Boston to Receive Spinal Cord Rehabilitation Exoskeleton from SoldierStrong: Veteran Warriors Walk Again

SoldierStrong, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing revolutionary medical technologies to help injured Veterans lead full lives donating an Indego Therapy exoskeleton to VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury Campus today.

The Therapy+ software suite, included with each Indego Therapy device, incorporates control algorithms based on proven motor learning principles and allows for an individualized, patient-centric training approach where the device responds to a patient’s active contribution and assists in gait only when necessary. Additionally, therapists have a range of customizable settings within the Therapy+ software suite which allows them to further tailor the behavior of the system to specific impairment and gait needs.

Dr. Marika Hess, Acting Chief, Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) noted that currently, VA Boston has an exoskeleton model in use. “The donation of this type of device allows us to have more device options for our Veterans who meet the medical clearance and FDA criteria to allow for robotic-assisted ambulation post spinal cord injury,” Hess said. “When a veteran takes his or her first steps, in some instances, the ability to ambulate in these devices can be life-changing.”

SoldierStrong co-founder Chris Meek said the state’s concentration of military personnel and veterans was a factor in the donation.

“There are more than 383,000 veterans in Massachusetts alone and almost one-fourth of them rely on some type of medical care from the VA, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The VA and its staff are dedicated to providing the best care to those veterans, but it’s important that groups like SoldierStrong stand with them to achieve that mission,” Meek said. “With advanced medical technology and expertise saving more and more servicemen and women who suffer severe injuries – especially on the battlefield – there’s an ever-growing need for exoskeletons and similar devices to make rehabilitation as effective as possible. We’re extremely proud to help as many veterans as we can so that they will experience the physical and emotional benefits of standing and walking again.”

A veteran, who had experienced a spinal injury, demonstrated his new-found ambulation abilities using the exoskeleton during the event.

Meek said the organization’s goal to help as many Veterans as possible was a significant factor in the local donation. Since SoldierStrong’s inception after 9/11, the Stamford, Conn.-based group has donated more than $3 million of medical devices to help injured veterans. Today’s donation is the organization’s 23rd exoskeleton donation and the second for VA Boston.

VA Boston Has Received A Spinal Cord Exoskeleton Donation from SoldierStrong

SoldierStrong, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to providing revolutionary medical technologies to help injured veterans lead full lives, donated an exoskeleton – a state-of-the-art rehabilitation device which can help even those who are paraplegic learn how to sit, walk, turn and regain their balance again – to the VA Boston Healthcare System, West Roxbury Campus this month.

There are more than 383,000 Veterans in Massachusetts alone and almost one-fourth of them rely on some type of medical care from the VA, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The VA and its staff are dedicated to providing the best care to those Veterans, but it’s important that groups like SoldierStrong stand with them to achieve that mission. With advanced medical technology and expertise saving more and more servicemen and women who suffer severe injuries – especially on the battlefield – there’s an ever growing need for exoskeletons and similar devices to make rehabilitation as effective as possible. SoldierStrong is extremely proud to help as many Veterans as we can so that they will experience the physical and emotional benefits of standing and walking again.

To learn more about the exoskeleton donation by SoldierStrong to the VA Boston Healthcare System, please view the original article.

Soldier Strong Organization Helps Disabled Veterans Learn to Walk Again

Many of us know veterans that have experienced life altering spinal cord injuries or paralysis, either during their time in service or upon their return home. So many are often told that they will never walk again and will spend the rest of their lives in wheelchairs. Veteran and farmer Matt Ross was told the same thing after he was crushed by a backhoe while fixing a broken water line on his property. Ross struggled with doing many of the things that he had been able to do before he broke his back. While seeking guidance at several VA Hospitals, he refused to accept that he couldn’t “change his future” and “move forward” by walking again and escorting his daughter down the aisle at her wedding.

Ross started his journey of moving forward when he began physical therapy at the Minneapolis VA and was introduced to an exoskeleton, a state-of-the-art rehabilitation device, equipment which veterans are prescribed rehab time in while receiving spinal, stroke or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) therapy.

The exoskeleton, donated to VA Hospitals across the country by national non-profit organization SoldierStrong, can help even those who are paraplegic learn how to sit, walk, turn and regain their balance again. In addition to walking, use of the exoskeleton has also enabled Ross to continue to farm, drive and work at his gun shop.

According to research completed by the VA, it is estimated that spinal cord injuries affect more than 250,000 individuals. Through donations made by SoldierStrong, 22 medical facilities and counting, 18 of which are VA Hospitals, have access to exoskeletons to help the rehabilitation of those with spinal cord injuries like Matt Ross.

Learn more about Matt Ross’s rehabilitation journey today.

United Rentals is the Presenting Sponsor of the 4th Annual Never Forget Tribute Classic on December 14th benefitting SoldierStrong

Never Forget Classic
SoldierStrong has partnered with the 4th Annual Never Forget Tribute Classic on December 14th, with ticket proceeds going to support the men and women of the armed forces that sprung into action, protecting our freedom in the wake of 9/11. This neutral site, college basketball double-header brings some of the best teams to the Prudential Center each year. This year’s tournament features the Delaware Blue Hens vs Villanova Wildcats and the Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Kansas State Wildcats.