never say never

WHEN AN ACCIDENT CHANGED THE COURSE OF DAN HILLIER AND MARYANNE HARRIS' LIVES, THE COUPLE FROM COLEDALE EMBARKED ON A JOURNEY THAT WOULD SEE THEM DISCOVER BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY AND PROVE DOCTORS WRONG

Words Diana Ioppolo ignitecontent.com.au Images Teel Studios

In 2010, Dan Hillier and Maryanne Harris were like many other couples their age. At 22, Dan worked as a chef while Maryanne was studying an exercise science degree. With dreams to travel and work overseas, Dan was exploring a company transfer while Maryanne planned to continue her studies abroad.

But a visit to a friend’s apartment changed their plans and their lives forever.

After a balcony railing gave way and collapsed, Dan experienced a four-metre fall that left him with the devastating diagnosis as a quadriplegic. He spent 10 months in hospital, underwent two surgeries to stabilise his spine, and was told he would never be able to move from his neck down again.

It was a diagnosis that both Dan and Maryanne, who now live in Coledale, refused to accept.

“Once we were given his diagnosis, we noticed his rehabilitation while in hospital was very much focused around how he could adapt and live his life under these new limitations,” says Maryanne. “The options seemed really limited. So, while I was finishing my degree, I began researching different forms of training for people with spinal cord injuries to try and find a better solution.”

Maryanne finished her degree and began working in aged care in a role that led her to a major breakthrough. While at a medical conference in Germany to source equipment for aged care facilities, she discovered Cyberdyne and learned about their revolutionary robotics designed to help people just like Dan.

Cyberdyne are the founders of HAL, the world’s first neuro-controlled exoskeleton which is used to train, support and enhance a wearer’s strength. Using electrodes, HAL encourages the development of new neural pathways while walking with the human, rather than walking for the human. By doing this, over time and with constant repetition, new neural pathways can be created and help the person do things they previously couldn’t.

Maryanne and Dan made their first trip over to Japan to explore the technology in 2012. Within three weeks, they saw the amazing results Dan achieved using this technology and began the long process of taking the technology back to Australia.

During this time, Maryanne and Dan were faced with the day-to-day realities of life after the injury. Dan needed regular and consistent care from a range of support workers and found that managing the different providers and appointments was a job in itself.

Dan’s ‘never say never’ approach is what’s gotten us through this journey and is what we live by every day

In 2018, while still working to bring HAL to Australia, the couple founded tappON. Based at the University of Wollongong's iAccelerate, tappON is an online NDIS booking platform that enables people to get the most value out of their NDIS packages. It helps people to find, build and manage their support team all under the one system.

In April 2021, after a nine-year journey, Maryanne and Dan officially launched HAL into Australia through their second business venture, RoboFit. “The process to bring HAL to Australia wasn’t easy,” says Maryanne. “With Australia being a relatively small market, we had to make it viable. There were partnership details to finalise,TGA approval to secure, and Master training for me to undergo in Japan.”

As Australia’s first Cyberdyne-certified rehabilitation clinic right here in North Wollongong, RoboFit provides a range of services to help people living with conditions such as spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis or stroke. Each program combines a custom program using HAL along with strength and conditioning training, which together create the building blocks to help a person regain function. So far, patients have come from across the country and all walks of life, with each person on a quest to regain some of their functionality.

“Through tappON and RoboFit, we want to do what we can for people who’ve found themselves in this life-altering situation, just like we have,” says Maryanne. “It’s not easy, but it can happen. After a lot of work and perseverance, Dan walked five kilometres across Sydney Harbour Bridge in 2014 as part of a marathon. He also surprised me at our wedding by joining me for our first dance as husband and wife. We’ve seen the progress that’s possible, so we want to help people do the same, be as independent as they can be and take back some control of their life.”

When asked what helped get them through this life-altering event, Maryanne credits unwavering support from both their families and friends as well as Dan’s unrelenting drive and perseverance.

“When the accident happened, so many of things we planned were just wiped out,” says Maryanne. “We had to switch gears. How could we make the best out of this situation? What else could we do to turn things around? Dan’s ‘never say never’ approach is what’s gotten us through this journey and is what we live by every day.”

With a mission to contribute to a cure for paralysis, the duo has big plans and are just getting started.After opening Australia’s first Cyberdynecertified rehabilitation clinic, Maryanne and Dan are looking to share this technology across both Australia and New Zealand. Their plans include expanding the existing clinic, introducing new RoboFit locations and bringing in new devices from the team in Japan.

“Those first few years after the accident were quite challenging and dark," says Dan. "I’m proud we can now share this technology, as it wasn’t an option for me coming out of the hospital. While every person’s journey is different, we want to help improve independence through this technology and explore what’s possible.”

For more information, visit robofit.com.au or tappon.co