Leo, a three-year-old boy, joyfully takes his maiden steps using a green robotic walker, his beaming mother, Inna Begelfer, closely observing. Despite being informed two and a half years ago that Leo, diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder at six months old, might never walk, Begelfer is elated at her son’s progress. Leo’s introduction to the Trexo mobility device, the first of its kind in the province, was made possible by an anonymous donation to the Regina-based non-profit First Steps Wellness Centre.
The Trexo device, manufactured in Ontario, is tailored to aid children with mobility challenges stemming from spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, or muscular dystrophy. Andy Schmidt, the community director at First Steps Wellness Centre, highlights the device’s versatility in assisting children with various mobility issues, emphasizing its potential to facilitate walking or correct gait abnormalities.
Featuring advanced technology, the Trexo walker incorporates multiple motors at the hips and knees to monitor and support a child’s movements. Schmidt underlines the walker’s enhanced capabilities, such as the ability to move backward, a feature absent in previous models. Notably, the device ensures ground contact during operation, promoting better bone health and providing valuable sensory feedback to the child.
The Trexo walker targets children aged two to six, with potential suitability for older children based on specific criteria like height and weight. Families interested in exploring the device for their child can now contact the center for a complimentary assessment to determine eligibility.
Schmidt underscores the non-profit’s commitment to serving the community, emphasizing the absence of waitlists and the center’s capacity to operate the device for up to six hours daily. He acknowledges the pivotal role of the anonymous donor in enabling the acquisition of the $100,000 Trexo walker and invites families to make regular use of this transformative technology.
Leo’s journey defies expectations, as he, diagnosed with FOXG1 syndrome and non-verbal, achieves significant milestones like independent walking with the aid of the Trexo walker. Begelfer expresses optimism about Leo’s future mobility prospects, confident that ongoing use of the device will further enhance his progress.