When professional snowboarder Allen McKinley sustained life-changing injuries in a motorcycle accident in 2002, he was told he would never walk again.
The 38-year-old from Shelton in North Carolina was left paralysed after he swerved to avoid a car that cut him up on the highway.
As he attempted to move out of the way, his motorcycle accelerated to 70mph and plunged into a rock. He was sent flying through the air and crashed on the ground.
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"I remember thinking I was going to die," he said. "I was flying through the air, all I could see was the oncoming traffic and I thought I was going to crash into them.
Credit: Caters
"My motorcycle was pushed into the median of the freeway by a car who pulled out in front of me - the person probably didn't see me.
"When I hit the ground my body continued to roll down the road, when I stopped my legs were pointed up towards the sky and my chest was twisted around, at that point I knew I was paralysed."
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Allen spent the next 15 years in a wheelchair, however, he didn't give up on his dream of being able to walk again.
Now, thanks to a robotic suit, the 38-year-old has been given the chance to turn that dream into a reality.
The REX suit is a self-supporting mobility tool which allows users to stand up on their own.
Allen said: "It felt normal walking again, like how it was before my accident, I know REX could help to improve a lot of people's lives.
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"Even with little things like being able to stand up while cooking, or being able to use the highest shelves, or to stand up and look out of the window, things you can't do if you're in a wheelchair."
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