How a robotic exoskeleton helped TikToker Tawil

T6 PARAPLEGIC SPINAL CORD INJURY

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

JESSICA Tawil's triumphant steps were made possible by the Wandercraft Atalante suit, an advanced robotic exoskeleton leveraging artificial intelligence (AI). TikTok

WHEN 16-year-old Jessica Tawil climbed into a car with friends in 2014, she never imagined she would spend a decade in a wheelchair.

A devastating accident left her with a T6 paraplegic spinal cord injury; her life changed in an instant. “I can’t move! I can’t move,” she exclaimed.

The chilling realisation that she was paralysed, abandoned by her friends on a deserted road, remains etched in her memory.

She asked, trembling, “Do I have pants on?” as though grounded in the surreal gap between her old life and new reality.

Fast-forward ten years: in a moving video that has touched millions online, Tawil stands upright.

The video of Tawil walking has captivated millions, with over 330 million views on TikTok and another 140m on Instagram.

In the clip, Tawil’s nervous anticipation melts into unfiltered joy as she takes those first tentative steps. Her story is one of resilience, redemption and the incredible power of technology to restore hope.

When robotics meets real life

Tawil’s achievement was made possible by the Wandercraft Atalante suit, an advanced robotic exoskeleton powered by artificial intelligence (AI).