British Paraplegic Receives ReWalk Exoskeleton Device After Successful Campaign to Walk Again
Lucy Dodd will begin rehabilitation training after national fundraising campaign with support from the Association for the Independence of Disabled People
BIRMINGHAM, England and YOKNEAM ILIT, Israel, March 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- ReWalk Robotics, Ltd. (Nasdaq: RWLK) ("ReWalk" or the "Company"), a leading manufacturer of robotic medical devices for individuals with lower limb disabilities, today announced delivery of a ReWalk Personal 6.0 System to Lucy Dodd, a British children's social care worker paralyzed by a rare spinal condition, which will allow her to stand and walk again. The ReWalk exoskeleton—a medical device designed for individuals with spinal cord injury to be used in the home and the community—is in use throughout the UK and around the world.
The system is being delivered following a successful fundraising campaign, led by Dodd and supported by the Association for the Independence of Disabled People (AID), a small Cumbrian charity which aims to improve accessibility in society for the disabled. The Lucy's Legs campaign brought in a range of donors, and ran varied activities culminating in a sponsored abseil at Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth on 23rd March. Dodd, who works as a child services officer for Hampshire County Council, suffered a rare spinal condition, Arteriovenous Malformation, when she was 18. After a series of operations, she lost the use of her legs, and has been confined to a wheelchair for 14 years. Doctors told her she would never walk again.
"This is a major step in a years' long battle to change the definition of possible,'' said Dodd. 'Standing tall and walking again with ReWalk will be a lease of freedom every day and I am incredibly excited to start this new chapter. I would like to thank everyone who put time, effort and of course funds into this battle, including and especially the tireless Ruth and Paul Adorian from AID''.
Dodd was introduced to ReWalk's revolutionary technology in 2017 and began campaigning in 2018, with AID serving as the largest donor to Lucy's Legs.
Paul Adorian, Managing Director of AID said, "Our mission is to empower disabled people and today certainly feels like a milestone. AID is built in the image of our Founder, the Hon. Mrs. Ruth Adorian, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease but has used her experience to help others. Lucy's ReWalk exoskeleton will create a miracle by providing almost natural mobility to someone who thought that their life could never be the same again. We are delighted to work with ReWalk and look forward to helping many more people regain mobility and freedom.''
Upon receipt of the system, Lucy will begin the standard training modules at Hobbs Rehabilitation Centre in Winchester to learn to use her system at home and in her daily life activities. ReWalk will support Dodd through the required training for home and community use of the system.
More than 50,000 people in the UK and Ireland are seriously disabled due to spinal damage following an accident, and the great majority now face the prospect of being confined to a wheelchair for the rest of their lives.
"Lucy's campaign to walk again has been inspirational and is testament first and foremost to her determination and resilience," said Larry Jasinski, CEO of ReWalk Robotics. "ReWalk is delighted to have the opportunity to work with AID in supporting Lucy and others to access life-changing exoskeleton technology. We are always proud to welcome exceptional ReWalkers into our growing family."
ReWalk Robotics Personal 6.0 is a wearable robotic exoskeleton that provides powered hip and knee motion to enable individuals with spinal cord injury to stand upright and walk. ReWalk is the first exoskeleton system to receive FDA clearance for use in the home as well as in the rehabilitation setting. ReWalk received a CE mark in June 2010, and FDA clearance in June 2014.
About ReWalk Robotics Ltd.
ReWalk Robotics Ltd. develops, manufactures and markets wearable robotic exoskeletons for individuals with spinal cord injury. Our mission is to fundamentally change the quality of life for individuals with lower limb disability through the creation and development of market leading robotic technologies. Founded in 2001, ReWalk has headquarters in the U.S., Israel and Germany. For more information on the ReWalk systems, please visit www.rewalk.com.
ReWalk® is a registered trademark of ReWalk Robotics Ltd. in Israel.
About AID
AID, the Association for the Independence of Disabled People, is a charity that aims to improve the lives of people living with a disability. Founded by The Hon. Mrs Ruth Adorian, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in 2007, the charity aims to change the little things that make a big difference to people with disabilities. AID objectives include improving facilities for disabled people and supporting research into new drugs for diseases which are currently looked upon as incurable.
Currently AID is involved in the provision of the ReWalk exoskeleton to people who have been deprived of the ability to walk following accident or illness, but also in an exciting new project where dogs will be trained to diagnose MND in humans, in the hope that before too long, a drug will be identified which will prove to benefit MND sufferers making it all the more important that the diagnosis time of this horrible disease can be drastically reduced.
These projects rely primarily on the generosity of donations from trusts and the public and the possibilities for helping more people with problems such as these are limited almost entirely by funding.
- For press enquiries or interviews contact Mr Paul Adorian, Managing Director on 01539448459 or email: [email protected]
- For more information visit: www.disabledday.org or write to:
AID
Applethwaite Lodge
Windermere
Cumbria
LA23 1JQ
- For membership forms and donations contact Mr Paul Adorian at the above address, telephone number or email
- Association for the Independence of Disabled People (AID) is a Charitable Company Limited By Guarantee. Charity Commission Registration number: 1158537
- Founder and Chairman, Mrs Ruth Adorian. AID founded, 28 May 2014
Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to historical information, this press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements may include projections regarding ReWalk's future performance and, in some cases, may be identified by words like "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "future," "will," "should," "would," "seek" and similar terms or phrases. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on management's current expectations, which are subject to uncertainty, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of ReWalk's control. Important factors that could cause ReWalk's actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others: ReWalk's ability to secure capital from its equity and debt financings in light of limitations under its Form S-3, the price range of its ordinary shares and conditions in the financial markets, and the risk that such financings may dilute ReWalk's shareholders or restrict its business; ReWalk's ability to regain compliance with the continued listing requirements of the Nasdaq Capital Market and the risk that its ordinary shares will be delisted if it cannot do so; ReWalk's expectations regarding future growth, including its ability to increase sales in its existing geographic markets, and to expand to new markets and achieve its planned expense reductions; the conclusion of ReWalk's management and the opinion of ReWalk's auditors in that there are substantial doubts as to ReWalk's ability to continue as a going concern; ReWalk's ability to maintain and grow its reputation and the market acceptance of its products; ReWalk's ability to achieve reimbursement from third-party payors for its products; ReWalk's limited operating history and its ability to leverage our sales, marketing and training infrastructure; ReWalk's expectations as to its clinical research program and clinical results; ReWalk's ability to improve its products and develop new products; ReWalk's ability to repay its secured indebtedness; the outcome of ongoing shareholder class action litigation relating to ReWalk's initial public offering; ReWalk's compliance with medical device reporting regulations to report adverse events involving its products and the potential impact of such adverse events on ReWalk's ability to market and sell its products; ReWalk's ability to gain and maintain regulatory approvals; ReWalk's expectations as to the results of, and the Food and Drug Administration's potential regulatory developments with respect to, ReWalk's mandatory post-market 522 surveillance study and ReWalk's 510k submission for the ReStore for stroke patients; ReWalk's ability to maintain adequate protection of its intellectual property and to avoid violation of the intellectual property rights of others; the risk of a cybersecurity attack or breach of our IT systems significantly disrupting our business operations; the risk that the remaining Timwell Corporation Limited ("Timwell") issuances will fail to close and the China joint venture will not form, and the resulting effect on ReWalk's liquidity and financial condition; the risk of substantial dilution resulting from additional issuances, if any, to Timwell; the significant voting power and de facto voting control Timwell may acquire upon additional issuances, if any; ReWalk's ability to use effectively the proceeds of offerings of securities; ReWalk's ability to maintain relationships with existing customers and develop relationships with new customers; the impact of the market price of ReWalk's ordinary shares on the determination of whether ReWalk is a passive foreign investment company; and other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in ReWalk's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018 filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and other documents subsequently filed with or furnished to the SEC. Any forward-looking statement made in this press release speaks only as of the date hereof. Factors or events that could cause ReWalk's actual results to differ from the statements contained herein may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for ReWalk to predict all of them. Except as required by law, ReWalk undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.
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