When Chris Palmer lost the ability to walk four years ago after a battle with cancer, his thoughts turned to his daughter, Heather.
"When I lay in hospital after the operation, one of the first things I thought about was my daughter's wedding and how I wasn't going to be able to walk her down the aisle,” he told The Telegraph.
But thanks to technology (and a very expensive bionic suit), Palmer was able to defy his own expectations and accompany Heather down the aisle on her big day. Before her wedding, Heather Palmer (now Halls) reached out to Rex Bionics, a company that creates exoskeletal suits that help people walk without assistance. It agreed to lend Palmer a suit, valued at around $131,000, as well as train him on how to operate it.
Palmer also used the suit to make the father of the bride speech at the reception. "It is really overwhelming that my dad is able to walk me down the aisle," Halls told The Telegraph. "I feel really proud of him that he's come this far and am really grateful to everyone who has helped us along the way."
She also hopes that their story can raise awareness around innovations like the bionic suit.
“I want people to know if they have had an accident that is life-changing or have a disability, there are measures out there that would enable them to do things they might think they could never do.”
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT