Jim Ryan was a pilot for 38 years but that all changed three years ago while on vacation in Hawaii with his wife, Isabelle.
“We were just in the water cooling off, so the wave came and we dove and I got twisted around and the wave drove my head in the sand … I said, ‘Well, I’ll just swim up and we’ll be on our way,’ but nothing moved,” he said.
Jim was paralyzed from his shoulders down. He had to learn to speak again and moving on his own was impossible — until he received a fancy wheelchair that can be controlled by his face.
It’s called the Wheelie, and it’s made by Hoobox and powered by Intel software. An algorithm learns to recognize Jim’s expressions and in turn the chair responds in real time.
For Jim, it’s granted him freedom he hasn’t had in a long time.
– Inside Edition Staff
Another great video:
You can find out more about Jim Ryan and his journey at his blog, found at www.myquadriplegic.life. You can also follow his adventures in on Facebook at Jim Ryan – Rolling Through Life.
