Dez Duru is up and walking a month after having a stroke thanks to a wearable robot suit 'the Ekso GT.' "I feel a little relieved. I'm free because my independence is coming back."
The 30-year-old is still trying to accept what has happened to her.
"What were you thinking?'
"I'm too young. I need to get married and have my kids."
The stroke left one side of her body extremely weak.
Dez is among a dozen stroke patients at the Kessler Foundation in New Jersey testing the battery-powered eksoskelton suit. The robot is not walking for her, instead, when Dez shifts her weight, sensors in the suit are activated which initiates steps.
The EXSO GT suit helps patients take more than 300 steps in a single session. Without the suit, some patients are only able to take about two dozen steps.
Dr. Karen Nolan says getting the patient up and walking right after a stroke is key. "It gives them the feeling of that left-right-left-right walking pattern to help their brain connect to the motion and hopefully we can get that change to stick."
Dez is expected to be released from Kessler this week. She is getting married in December. "I'm excited for that."
She'll continue outpatient therapy and says she's looking forward to walking down the aisle without any help.
The technology has also been tested on patients with spinal cord injuries. Researchers hope to test people with traumatic brain injuries next.
