Dennie Jager

Source: Dennie Jager

Still very young when the accident happened and in the midst of starting his career, Dennie was told to never be able to walk again due to paraplegia. After his request to become part of the exoskeleton rehabilitation program at the clinic was rejected, because he supposedly did not meet the requirements, Dennie set out to find his own ways of learning to walk again. He is one of the Dutch pioneers to use an exoskeleton and aims to draw attention to the favorable health effects of walking in an exoskeleton for paraplegics. Read on and learn more about his story below!

On Saturday night, the 18th of October 2014, I was driving home on the scooter. My side job in the flower branch had just ended. I had plans and was all ready to go out with the boys. Was looking forward to the Saturday night vibe, looking forward to life.

Almost had I arrived home when I noticed the headlights of an approaching car in the small street on my right side. I could still easily pass before the car would have reached me, but still, I looked over my shoulder. As a result, my direction changed, I hit the sidewalk with full speed, flew straight over my handlebars, and collapsed with my entire body into a provider box.
I myself can only remember very few details of the blow itself. Everything passed by so quickly that the entire situation could not be processed at the same speed by my brains. There are only some small fragments that I do remember, the driving on the scooter, a hard blow to the head, people surrounding me both shocked and in astonishment. Vaguely, I remember hearing ”hold his head, he broke his neck and someone call the alarm number!”

Two ambulances and a trauma helicopter quickly appeared at the scene. It was as if I was transferred to the hospital at formula-1 speed in that ambulance. And then everything turned black…

“Good, he is awake”, is the first thing I heard. I could not remember what day it was, where I was, and how I had gotten there. But I was quickly thinking about Avebe, where I had been doing my internship during my final exam year. Vaguely I saw my mother and immediately said: ‘You have to call Mark, because I am not going to work on Monday’. Rather quickly, I was told that I had a spinal cord injury, more specifically paraplegia. And that for me life would be completely different from that moment onwards.

After spending a few weeks in intensive care and being relocated to the aftercare unit at the University Medical Center Groningen, a long and extensive period of rehabilitation was about to start at the Beatrixoord te Haren. ‘I was wondering, what kind of life is this that I have now?’

During my rehabilitation period, I continued my studies and internship. I loved to be able to be at school or at my internship, away from all the problems for a bit. I was doing a technical study called AOT and was doing my internship at the Maintenance department of Avebe Foxhol. At my internship, various adjustments were made to my workplace. The mechanics have built a ramp, such that I could easily enter the place, all of the thresholds and doorsteps were removed, the toilet was rebuilt and I had gotten an adjustable desk. I can proudly say that I graduated from my studies and thereupon was hired as a technical documentalist at Avebe. Besides I have obtained my driver’s license for a modified car, where I have to do everything (from steering to accelerating) with my hands.

They say that after a crash like this, there are three things that you will have to do: accept, learn to deal with it, and lastly set new goals. However, accepting, I am unable to do so. I only have one goal: I want to be able to walk again. That is an actual possibility! You start searching on google until your eyes are squared, searching for a solution. Fortunately, there is a lot of promising research going on regarding recovering from paraplegia. But that will still require some time. Nevertheless, there is an alternative to be able to walk, namely an exoskeleton. A robotic suit that walks for you. That is why I have become involved in the foundation ‘Walk On’, as an ambassador. Because I believe that people with paraplegia do have the possibility to regain their ability to walk!

Watch the next video to see Dennie tell more about his exoskeleton experiences!