Something momentous occurred to me last evening, October 30, 2024, around 6:45 p.m.. I had the best time I had in a very long time! I had the privilege of standing and walking with natural and confident steps in Wandercraft’s Atalante X exoskeleton, which is the best thing ever created and far superior to the other exoskeletons I’ve used! The Atalante X is not just an exoskeleton; it is a vessel and symbol of hope and a reminder that my long-awaited dreams may one day soon become true!
This was a very special, long-awaited, and heartwarming time for me. Every time I am in the Atalante X exoskeleton, it is a special time for me. Still, this time was a particularly special time for me because it was something I’ve been eagerly waiting for since May 3, 2024, nearly six months ago. Twenty-five weeks, 181 days, 4320 hours, 259200 minutes, and 1555200 seconds ago, to be exact, and before that, the last time that I was in the Atalante X was on September 28, 2023, which was 7 months ago, 31 weeks, 219 days, 5256 hours, 315,360 minutes, and 18,921,600 seconds.
As I was walking, I felt muscles working that I hadn’t used in years, and I was just lying dormant, in hibernation for nearly two decades. For instance, I felt my ankles moving in ways I never knew were possible. Even just standing on my own two feet felt so good because I felt the pressure of having my feet firmly planted on the ground, which is something that I love and miss being able to do. Yes, I recently received a standing chair, which is great because it allows me to stand, but I don’t consider it really standing because my feet are on footrests and not on the floor where it is naturally supposed to be. Proprioception, that innate sense of where my body existed in space, flooded back with clarity and contentment that I hadn’t experienced in years. It was like rediscovering a lost continent within myself, a realm of physicality I thought was forever beyond my reach. Also, being in the Atalabte X dramatically improves my breathing because being upright and active opens up my airway, which is very important to me because I have a tracheostomy and breathing problem. In addition, walking in the Atalanta X has made me sweat for the first time in many years! I can’t even begin to describe the feelings of pleasure,
self-satisfaction and peace that I finally experience
It may seem like I am being dramatic, but this was such a significant time for me because, as a quadriplegic who has been wheelchair-bound for almost 19 years (I know that it is politically correct to use that term anymore), I have come to hate, deprecate and degrade myself for just sitting and relaxing all day givi and never standing, walking and being active like a regular person. Being able to stand up, walk, and be active makes me feel like a person and someone who deserves to eay and be alive.
The Atalante X is more than just a marvel of engineering; it’s a beacon of hope, a symbol of the boundless potential that lies dormant in me, waiting to be unlocked. It’s a reminder that the human capacity for innovation and adaptation can prevail even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.
As I emerged from the exoskeleton, The echoes of my footsteps lingered in the air, a testament to the groundbreaking experience I had just experienced. I carried with me the memory of walking and a renewed and profound sense of gratitude, possibility, perseverance, motivation, and unwavering determination. The journey ahead of me is still uncharted and full of setbacks and barriers, but I face it with a renewed sense of purpose, armed with the knowledge that the impossible is merely a challenge waiting to be overcome. The Atalante X has opened a door to a future I could only have dreamed of, and I am eager to step through it, one confident stride at a time.