Walking again with help from a rehab 'robot'

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - Jim Gallagher is taking a step in the right direction thanks to the staff at Glen Cove Hospital and an innovative technology known as the G-EO System robot.

While attending his son's wedding in Costa Rica, he started to lose the ability to dance or even walk properly. So life for the once active family man slowed down two years ago. The 70-year-old turned to doctors after he had trouble climbing the steps of the Eiffel Tower and was told by his daughter he couldn't hold his grandkids because his balance was off.

A spinal tap revealed that Jim had fluid buildup in the brain—a condition known as hydrocephalus. Surgery helped relieve the pressure but Jim was still left with weakness in his legs. He could walk only about 20 feet with a walker and help from others.

But after using the G-EO System, Jim is back on his feet after three weeks. This machine is one of seven in the country. It helps patients who have suffered a stroke, traumatic brain or spinal cord injuries.

A screen in front of Jim shows how much weight is being placed on each leg. The technology doesn't replace the standard practice of physical therapy; it is just another tool to speed up the recovery process.

He is cleared to go home. Jim said he is feeling a whole lot younger and hopes to go back to Paris to climb the Eiffel Tower.