A Florida man paralyzed in a horse racing accident reached out to an advice columnist in despair after being put back into a wheelchair full-time following a device malfunction.
Horse jockey Michael Straight was paralyzed in 2009, following a horse racing accident at an event in Chicago, Illinois. The incident left him paralyzed from the waist down.
In 2014, Straight was introduced to the ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton, a device designed to assist people with spinal cord injuries in walking and mobility.
"Ten years ago, I could never picture myself putting one foot in front of the other. Now, I've walked close to 400,000 steps," Straight told the Ask Anthony team.
However, the device, which cost Straight $100,000, suddenly stopped working earlier this year, putting Straight back into a wheelchair. The malfunction was attributed to a wiring issue with the watch battery that is used to control the device. Straight made repeated efforts to contact the company that manufactured the Exoskeleton, but could not get a response.
Straight's family reached out to advice columnist Anthony Austin, hoping to help Straight walk again.
"It's extremely frustrating and extremely disappointing that we can't get that answer," said Straight's twin brother Matthew.
Austin was able to contact the company, getting a response from Lifeward CEO Larry Jasinski who apologized for the company's poor communication.
"We had some changes in the company recently and some numbers might have gotten outdated. We have audited to make sure every one of our phone lines is manned," Jasinski explained.
Lifeward replaced the dead battery in Straight's device, allowing him to walk again. The company has also offered to help him replace his Exoskeleton entirely as his device is 10 years old.
"The smartwatch wasn't a major problem. It turned out to be the batteries just wore out after all those years. We just replaced it. We gave him a brand-new one. It was simple," Jasinski said.
"I'm back on my feet. Thank you for all your hard work," said Straight.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
