After more than 40 years in a wheelchair, I thought I understood my body’s limits. I knew what I could and couldn’t do, what I could ask of my muscles, and how far gravity would let me go before it won. But once I met the ZeroG Gait and Balance System, everything changed!
It wasn’t just a piece of rehab equipment. For me, it was the gateway to a new experience of movement, one I never imagined I’d feel again.
Before I could even attempt the system, my therapist, Amber, would ready me with the care and precision of a pilot prepping for flight. I’d lie flat on a table while she fastened a rock-climbing-style harness around me, sliding towels under the straps to cushion the pressure. She’d secure each strap with the strength of a pitbull and then repeat the ritual for good measure. Then came the transfer back into my wheelchair so I could access the ZeroG. Hearing the click signaled I was hooked into the ZeroG system and ready to go!
I was lifted. Before I knew it, I was flying about ten feet in the air. What a thrill! Once airborne, I’d be gently lowered onto a large box placed between two parallel bars. My feet kissed the floor, just enough to give me stability. Now, the real work began. 50 sit-to-stand squats and arm dips was my first assignment from Amber. With the system set to reduce half my body weight, the movements seemed possible, even though I thought her expectations were a little high for my first time.
As I pushed through each rep, my body shook and sweat poured. My heart pounded. And for the first time in 43 years, I was standing with full muscle engagement, thanks to assistance from the ZeroG.
Resisting a limited force of gravity was intense, but even more brutal was the endurance of 50 reps. Every push, I questioned whether my muscles could take so many repetitions. I wasn’t about to quit.
Completely spent, I made it through. I was proud of how my body performed mentally and physically. I was confident that I created a foundation to promote continual future progress as I reawakened my body which had been silenced for decades.
Over the next eight months, ZeroG became a core part of my rehab routine. I lowered my offload from 50% to just 31%, and raised my reps from 50 to 500. Yes, 500. Every session felt like another step out of the wheelchair and into possibility.
Naturally, I started wondering: If Fort Worth has this kind of technology, surely Dallas does too… right?
So, I did my homework. I searched, I asked, I hoped. And I found them, four ZeroG systems in Dallas; Two in hospital outpatient facilities, one at a VA hospital, and another in a center for traumatic brain injury. Disappointingly, none cater to my disability. But it’s not going to stop me. Now I know what’s possible. And once you know, you can’t go back.
Maybe, just maybe, through the help of great friends, the grace of God, and a dream that’s bigger than a diagnosis, I’ll help bring the ZeroG to Dallas. Not just for me, but for others like me who are ready to feel their bodies again, stand tall, and yes… even fly! All in strides of faith.