(FeaturedNews.com) – A student from Virginia, Khalil Watson, had missed his high school graduation ceremony because he was stuck in a hospital recovering from a shooting that unfortunately left him paralyzed and unable to walk. Seven years later, with the assistance of new technology, Khalil got up from his wheelchair and walked across the graduation stage to receive his degree from Reynolds Community College in Richmond, Virginia.
In an interview with USA Today, Watson revealed that he did not truly realize what had occurred until days later when he was taking the time to self-reflect about everything he had experienced in order to get to that point. His professors, parents, and fellow graduates gave him a standing ovation as he walked across the stage.
A spokesperson at Reynolds Community College revealed to USA Today that Watson had shown that anything is possible with resilience. They added that the young man had acted as an inspiration to all.
For Watson to be able to make it across the state he had the assistance of Ekso Bionics’ robotic exoskeleton, which allowed him to rise from his seat and walk across the stage to receive his degree.
The shooting that left Watson paralyzed occurred on May 26, 2016, when he was shot after receiving a haircut at a local shop in Virginia. The bullet wound left him with a fractured spine that led to him being paralyzed from the chest down. The shooting had occurred only a couple of weeks before his junior high graduation, which led to him missing both his prom and graduation.
WATCH:
25-yo Khalil Watson received his associate’s degree by walking across Reynolds Community College’s stage with the help of a robotic exoskeleton — almost 7 years after he was shot and left paralyzed. His determination to earn his degree and walk again is awe-inspiring! 🎓💪🏾 🎥:… pic.twitter.com/YuVfgiIZfO
— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) May 17, 2023
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