A young man from London had his life turned upside down when he fell nine meters working as a labourer at a building site back in 2011. Gheorghe spent months believing he’d never walk again but thanks to a life changing exoskeleton and having his legal case settled early last year, he’s looking forward to a new lease of life.
“It’s given me hope for the future and some of my freedom back. I can walk about 1.5km in an hour–and-a-half and I’m improving all the time. You might take it for granted but being able to simply walk around the park is an amazing experience after having to use a wheelchair. As I become more experienced using it, I’m looking forward to seeing where my new legs will take me.” Gheorghe Dunca
Gheorghe Dunca, from Bromley in Greater London, sustained a spinal cord injury and in the early stages he found it incredibly difficult to accept that he was paralysed.
When we support someone with a spinal cord injury we focus on both their immediate needs in their early days post injury, whilst also thinking about their long-term future. So in addition to investigating the circumstances surrounding Gheorghe’s injuries we also looked into the equipment and support that he would need if he was to regain any of his former quality of life.
This led us to discover the pioneering ReWalk exoskeleton which is a suit providing powered hip and knee motion which enables users to stand upright, walk, turn, climb and descend stairs.
The motorised device, which is started by tilting the body forwards, has a battery-powered system which controls movement using subtle changes in the centre of gravity and mimics the natural gait of the legs.
Gheorghe is now able to go for a walk and feels like the exoskeleton has changed his life again, only this time for the better.
Our specialist serious injury solicitor, Chani Dhaliwal, obtained an interim payment from Gheorghe’s former employers to purchase the Rewalk device and early last year the case was settled so the exoskeleton will be provided for years to come.
“The process of a legal case following an injury is to try as much as possible to return the injured person to their original lifestyle and while an exoskeleton suit may not be appropriate for everyone, it uses cutting edge technology which has been integral to improving Gheorghe’s quality of life and independence.” Chani Dhaliwal
Although nothing can turn back the clock and undo Gheorghe’s injuries, it’s great to see him taking positive steps to get his life back on track and looking forward to the simple things in life, like being able to walk in the park.
Published: 15 March 2018
Focus on Spinal Injury - Spring 2018
- The Intro
- The Exclusive : Back to the Future
- The Expert : In the Spotlight
- The Charity : SIA Ride to Transylvania
- The Pledge
- The Event
- Ola's Story
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