Paralyzed Waco Man Takes His First Public Steps Again

The road was long, but walking is once again possible for Doug Rogers.

KWTX is reporting that a bike accident back in 2014 left Waco business executive Doug Rogers paralyzed from the chest down.

This past weekend, surrounded by friends and family, Doug took his first public steps since the accident.

Doug was assisted by a ReWalk device. It's the first exoskeleton approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The device was name "Rex" by Rogers. When he got it, he realized that using it was going to be difficult.

"I remember after buying it and getting up in it for the first time thinking man I think I may have wasted my money," Rogers told KWTX. "I don’t know if I'll ever be able to get this down. But with the help of my wife and my friends after a while you get it down. It's not easy for me to do. I have a T-4 injury and the ReWalk is really made for a lower injuries than mine. I just remember the first time I stood up which was actually in January and after three years of not standing up and all the sudden standing up, is quite a thrill. Just seeing the world from your normal height again."

The video below gives us an idea of how the device works. It's a huge help, but patients still need to put in a great deal of work to get walking again.