VIRGINIA, USA — A paralyzed college graduate in Virginia used a special robotic suit to help him walk across the graduation stage Saturday.
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“It’s not the way I imagined walking across the stage, but it really, really meant a lot to me,” Jaiden Picot told ABC News.
Two years ago, Virginia Union University graduate Jaiden Picot was paralyzed from the waist down after a truck hit him while he rode his electric scooter to work.
But he didn’t let the life-altering injury derail his education dreams.
The 23-year-old earned his bachelor’s degree from VUU last year, and on Saturday, he walked across the same stage to earn his Executive MBA.
“I feel accomplished, man, really, I feel accomplished,” Picot told CNN. “I feel, I feel like nothing can hold me back now.”
He wore an exoskeleton suit from the Sheltering Arms Institute, which helped assist him in standing and walking.
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These types of suits are wearable walking aids that can help with walking therapy for people with spinal cord injuries, according to the institute.
Picot plans to pursue a career in real estate after being inspired by his own experiences.
“I just want to help people more, like me, with disabilities. Because I know for myself its really hard to find accommodative and comfortable homes for myself,” Picot told WRIC. “So I just want to help a lot of people out there like me, like to find those accommodative homes where they can feel comfortable and feel very positive to live at.”
Picot is now raising money to get himself an accessible van and hoping his story inspires others to keep their hope during challenging times.
“I had a goal before my accident that I wanted to do this,” he told WTVR. “I didn’t let my accident stop me, so I worked hard, prayed, had faith, and I made it here.”
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