Standing Tall Again: A Challenge Accepted Story
Dan Webb knew he was paralyzed as soon as he hit the ground. Couldn’t feel his legs. It was October 4, 2010, around 10 a.m. – a date and time he won’t soon forget.
On the second day of archery season for deer, under an overcast sky, Dan and a buddy had gone hunting near Fort Washington, Pa. Late in the morning, as he was climbing down from a tree stand, a bolt snapped, and he dropped 12 feet.
Webb learned later he had shattered a vertebrae, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.
It was a devastating injury in two ways. Not only did Webb lose the use of his legs, but he also lost his construction business. He lost an awful lot that day, but not his family and friends, who he would need to get through the days ahead.
Challenge Accepted
About a year after the accident, Webb heard something that led him down a new path. A friend he had met during his stint in rehab mentioned that MossRehab was offering training in a device called ReWalk. The ReWalk is a motorized exoskeleton suit that enables patients with lower limb disabilities, including complete paralysis, to independently stand, walk, and—in some cases—climb stairs. He knew it was something he wanted to try. Anything to get him standing again.
"I’ll never forget the feeling that first day using the ReWalk of being able to look people in the eye again."
"I’ll never forget the feeling that first day using the ReWalk of being able to look people in the eye again," Webb says. "I hated it when they eased me back into my chair. I was hooked."
ReWalk led Webb to a conference in 2013 in Washington, where he walked in front of 12,000 people.
On January 9, 2016 Webb passed the test and became one of just a handful of people in the U.S. approved to take the ReWalk home for everyday use.
A new journey had begun.
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