Walking tall thanks to tech and a team

BY JIM CORNELIUS | PHOTOS BY CEILI CORNELIUS

Erik Himbert’s life changed radically in 2009.

Physically dynamic and an avid athlete, Himbert was snowboarding in Wildwood, California, when everything went suddenly and catastrophically wrong.

“I hit the jump at full speed and thought it was powder, and it turned out to be ice,” he recalled in a 2023 interview with The Nugget Newspaper reporter Stuart Ehr. “My board shot out from underneath me. I fell headfirst about 20 feet or so, and landed on my back, and that was it. When I saw my friend’s face… They came up to me and touched my legs and I couldn’t feel my legs, and that’s when I knew it was pretty bad.”

It was very bad. Himbert was left a parapalegic.

Through faith and an exceptionally positive and determined spirit, Himbert was able to turn his focus from what he could not do to what he could do. He continued to work as a music teacher and as a worship leader at his church. But no amount of positive outlook could stave off the toll paraplegia takes on the body over time.

Constant sitting in a wheelchair or being prone degrades blood flow and bone density, and can leave a person at risk of bacterial infections. It also created significant issues with Himbert’s hips — extreme tightness in flexors and psoas muscles that could often become extremely uncomfortable. Himbert was facing the realization that his health and well-being was slowly but surely getting worse.

His life changed radically again in 2023, when the ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton entered his life.

Himbert had been keeping tabs on technologies that were helping paraplegics improve their quality of life. He saw people like him standing and walking with the aid of exoskeletons. He began to seek out a way to bring such a device to bear on his own deteriorating condition.

“I just reached out to every company and ReWalk is the one who got back to me,” he said. “So, knock on the door… It totally changed my life.”

There were many qualifications required to get Himbert into a ReWalk Exoskeleton, including finding a qualified physical therapist — preferably in Central Oregon — to assess his compatibility with the equipment and to train him in the use of the technology.

Destination Rehab in Bend, an outfit that specializes in returning people to outdoor activities, conducted a threemonth training course to get Himbert ready to take his exoskeleton home.

But Himbert cannot simply climb into the exoskeleton and walk. It requires a “walking partner” to accompany him — and in some cases multiple people. For working with the exoskeleton to be effective at improving his condition, Himbert needs to walk multiple times a week, so it’s a big ask for people to commit to a regular schedule.

Yet that has not been a problem for Himbert. He has a regular team of people who work with him. On the road in the neighborhood, one person is sufficient to accompany him. Erik’s neighbor Rick Retzman stepped right up to the work.

“For trails, we really need one person in back and two on the sides, just in case,” said Natalie DeLozier, a team member and a nurse and massage therapist.

Himbert and his team get out on suitably smooth and wide trails — often in Camp Sherman — on their Sunday Fun Day, which turns into a social gathering of friends. The team includes Retzman and DeLozier, Geoff Skidmore, Melissa Robertson, and Susan Horstmeyer.

“I’m super blessed by my team. They want to do it.”

They’re not just casual participants. Each had to go through training with Destination Rehab in order to certify their companion capabilities.

For his part, Himbert is always game to go.

“He has an adventurous spirit,” Skidmore said.

“You have to really pay attention to how he’s moving, and how he’s aligning his steps,” DeLozier said. “It’s nerve-wracking at the beginning.”

Companions have to be aware of even minor variations in terrain and anticipate where there might be difficulties in maneuvering. There is a high degree of trust required in the process, because a fall could injure Himbert and potentially damage the exoskeleton.

“A lot of it is on me to be under control,” Himbert said.

It is all a labor of love for those involved, who are friends and thrive in each others’ company.

“It feels like a second family,” DeLozier said.

Trail days keep the team out for about an hour-and-a-half, usually followed by a convivial lunch. Movement is slow and deliberate.

“I think I’ve gone a half-mile or so, which is pretty good,” Himbert said.

The effects of consistent use are apparent and significant. DeLozier, with her medical background, can see improvements in heart and respiratory rate.

“That’s measurable,” she said.

One significant improvement was somewhat unexpected. Himbert had an increasing problem with restless legs, his limbs moving constantly without his control. The condition is uncomfortable and extremely disruptive to sleep.

“After walking regularly, there’s really a significant difference,” DeLozier said.

“That’s really helped with my sleeping, too,” Himbert said. “Being able to sleep through the night for the first time in 14 years was huge.”

The work with his beloved team of companions has enabled Himbert to significantly advance his quality of life. He’s currently part of a six-month clinical study on exoskeleton efficiency. Himbert receives everyday functional “challenges,” such as operating in the kitchen, and reports back on how things went. The hope is “maybe, hopefully, to replace the wheelchair.”

Himbert continues to teach music, a passion that dates back to his early childhood.

“My earliest memories are jamming on my grandmother’s piano I’ve always had a love for teaching deep down inside.” He has a background in all the band instruments, and teaches guitar, banjo, fiddle, cello, drums, and ukulele.

He also likes to work on old cars, and has figured out ways to work around the obvious challenges.

“I’m pretty creative as far as that goes,” he said, “working with my hands.”

He shares his automotive passions and misadventures on his YouTube channel, Godspeed Garage, https://www.youtube.com/c/GODSPEEDGarage.

For information on the ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton, visit www.golifeward.com. Destination Rehab can be found at www.destinationrehab.org.